


Missing Pieces

by Dakzoo



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: F/M, Gangs, Grief/Mourning, Mental Instability, Mystery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:47:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 71,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24598498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dakzoo/pseuds/Dakzoo
Summary: - It's been a year since Nick was killed in front of her on the job, leaving Judy reckless and unfocused. But with a gang war brewing and her badge on the line could it be that Nick is back to help? Or has the country bunny finally lost her carrots?
Relationships: Fangmeyer/Wolford (Zootopia), Judy Hopps/Nick Wilde
Comments: 291
Kudos: 148





	1. Everything Goes Wrong.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Sal closed his eyes and listened to the water. His nerves were on edge, and the rhythmic dripping, why annoying to most, was helping to calm him.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

He focused on the repetitive sound. Listening to it and pretending he was anywhere but here. Someplace safe and warm. Maybe on a beach with her. Not standing there in the rotting carcass of an old warehouse by the docks on the edge of Happytown.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Shaking his head, Sal was attempting to refocus himself. Now was not the time to let his thoughts wander. He was the lookout. The one looking for any danger that threatened Anthony Moratti, the snow-white fox in the white suit, sat calmly at a table a couple of feet in front of Sal.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Trying harder, Sal decided to concentrate on the task. His eyes jumping from shadow to shadow as he watched for any sign of danger. But once more, his thoughts drifted to her. He couldn't get her off his mind. He barely knew her, but he wanted to be near her, he wanted to hold her, to feel her fur against his, and smell the familiar scent that made him feel safe.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Sal knew he would pay for protecting her. Leaving behind a witness who could tell the ZPD what happened. But he had to keep her safe.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Shaking his head, Sal tried to banish his memory of her out of his mind. He had a job to do. Anthony being mad at him for protecting her would be the least of his worries if things went south here. 

Soon they would be surrounded and likely outnumbered by members of the Omni gang. Here to discuss splitting up El Gatos' turf. El Gatos, a feline gang, had recently vacated their territory after a crackdown. Still, the ZPD took their leadership off the streets.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Anthony seemed confident that an agreement could be reached, but Sal wasn't so sure. The Omni's, unlike el Gato's or Sal's Skulk, was not made up of a single type of mammal but instead were a group of many different species. This made them less predictable.

Whoever took over El Gatos' turf stood to make a lot of money taking over their drug trade. With that type of money came power. Sal knew Anthony liked power, and he knew what Anthony would do to get it.

Drip.

Without turning around, Anthony asked, "Why so nervous?" Startling Sal and almost causing him to drop the weapon, he was hiding just out of sight.

"Something just feels wrong," Sal answered as he continued to scan the room. "Like we shouldn't be here," Sal said

"You think they are going to double-cross us? Or just not offered a good deal?" Anthony asked.

Shaking his head, Sal continued, "I don't know. I just know that being here feels wrong."

Anthony frowned at Sal's answer, as he turned his head slightly to get a better look at the red fox standing behind him.

The sudden sound of the door clanging open caused Sal again to jump. Anthony remained motionless at the table, staring directly ahead. In walked a chocolate-colored rabbit doe, dressed in a business suit. Following her in was a woolly ram and a red fox, Both dressed more casual but clearly armed.

"Sorry I'm late," The bunny said, her voice velvety, self-assured, and a little flirty. "Traffic," She said with a flirty smirk, that drew a smile from the otherwise motionless Anthony. He was sure that doe had used that alluring look to get many males to give her whatever she had wanted in the past. It was probably why the Omni sent her as their negotiator.

As he was sizing her up, she was doing the same to him. She first noticed the obvious, things like his white fur, his expensive suit, and his icy stare. But other than that, he seemed like an average fox with nothing exceptionable about him except for his size. Most arctic foxes were smaller in stature, but the white-furred fox in front of her was easily bigger than most red foxes. "I have never seen an arctic fox your size before." She commented as she sat down.

Silently Anthony loosened the top few buttons of his shirt, revealing thin blood-colored streaks of red fur that went down his neck and across his chest. "You still haven't. I'm not an arctic fox." He said in almost a whisper, causing the doe to lean in to hear him. "I'm a red fox who's different."

She continued to watch him. She felt a shiver of unease travel down her spine. There was something so primal and smooth while also so predatory about the way he moved and spoke that it drew her in, while also confusing her. She would wonder later if this feeling was attraction fear or a bit of both.

She watched as he pulled a small revolver from his jacket and placed it on the table in front of her. They both looked at the gun for a second before quickly returning their gaze to each other. As both sat motionless across the old dirty table.

"You can't intimidate me," The bunny said with a slight hitch in her voice, betraying her true feelings towards her adversary. "My species may be that of a prey mammal, but you will find I do not spook easily." She said, trying to convince him as well as herself.

Continuing to sit motionlessly, the fox only chuckled. "My dear, that weapon is for my protection, not yours. I only have one lone fox with me. You brought a ram, a fox, and" he leaned forward and pointed to a window on the far side of the warehouse. "That hare that is hiding just outside the window with a rifle aimed at my head."

A second later, the muffled sound of a gunshot drew everyone's attention. Everyone, except for the fox whose eyes never left the bunny doe in front of him. "Now that he is handled. Let's get to work."

Slightly shaken after her comrade's suspected death, the bunny took a deep breath before diving into the matter at hand. "Let's get straight to the point. With El Gato being out of commission, thanks to that anonymous tip the ZPD received the other day, their territory is up for grabs."

The doe paused to see if Anthony had anything to say. She expected him to make a claim for the turf. Maybe, to suggest a compromise. But instead, the fox sat silently, not looking at his gun or at the other mammals in the room. The bunny in front of him held all his attention.

Confused by his silence, she continued. "Well, it is out of respect, for you, that we, um," She fumbled her words as Anthony glare seemed to dig into her soul. "I, we, the Omni, wanted you to know we are claiming that territory." Pausing again, she looked to the fox across the table curious to see his response and becoming more uncomfortable by the lack of one.

Looking away from Anthony, the doe stared at Sal. He met her gaze for a second before breaking it and looking to the two enforcers the bunny had brought with her.

Continuing the doe said, "We wish to keep things civil between our two groups and avoid any bloodshed. So advise your, um, members, to steer clear of our territory, and we will allow you to continue to operate as you always have."

Leaning back in his chair, Anthony was clearly unhappy with the terms set before him, an action the doe misread as a weakness. Clearing her throat, and with new courage, she didn't possess a few minutes ago, she said confidently, "To put it plainly, you and the rest of the Glee Club are small time. You and I both know you don't have the resources to protect or properly monetize this territory. So stay out of our way." The doe smiled slightly, unable to hide the pleasure she was taking in knocking the fox down a peg.

Anthony's fur bristled as he heard the insulting name some used to describe his Skulk. Just one more jab at their Happytown roots.

For the next minute, Anthony was silent. He didn't reach for the gun or attempt to stand. Getting impatient, the doe broke the silence. "Now, let's talk about the mammal I assume you shot. Why should I let you leave here alive?"

Anthony closed his eyes and took a deep breath and held it for a second before letting it out. Opening his eyes again, his gaze returned and fixed itself on the doe. "I'm sorry, my dear, I did want to avoid this."

Still believing she had the upper hand and not backing down, the doe ask, "Avoid what?" In a curt manner.

Springing from his chair and tipping over the table, Anthony charged the ram who stood behind the doe. Attacking the ram first, it was only seconds before Anthony had raked his claws deeply across into the soft pink flesh of the ram's abdomen.

Sal grimaced as blood poured from the long parallel wounds left by Anthony's claws, as the ram slowly sunk to his knees. In a feeble attempt at keeping some of the blood and his innards in place, the ram hugged himself, but it was to no avail. He was unconscious from blood loss before he hit the ground.

The sound of a gunshot rang out momentarily, drawing the attention to Sal, who was holding a smoking pistol. The fox from Omni stood gripping his bleeding forearm, his pistol now sitting on the ground in a pool of his blood.

Turning to the fox, Anthony smiled as he watched the other predator try to stop the bleeding. 

"Going to shoot me in the back? We could use a fox like you. I'll give you one chance, brother," Anthony said to the red fox in front of him. "Join us."

"No," The red fox said as he prepared to fight. Lunging at his white-furred rival, Anthony easily dodged the attack of the unskilled adversary who flails wildly with his one good paw.

Standing there, laughing, Anthony said, "Give up?"

"Fuck you!" The red fox yelled out as he charged again.

Anthony stood there calmly once again, dodging the attack and pulling the red fox into a hug.

Time seemed to stop for a second as the white fox stood there, embracing his foe. But a soft cracking and gurgling sound broke the serenity of the scene as the white fox broke the embrace and pushed the red fox away with the red fox's windpipe still in his jaws.

The doe watched in horror As the red fox fell to the ground struggling to breathe. Turning to Anthony, she saw him spit out the hunk of flesh and walk back toward her. His white fur and suit now stained red. Walking confidently towards cowering doe, she was frantically searching for the gun that was knocked off the table while not taking her eyes off of the advancing fox. Finding it, she breathed a sigh of relief as she turned, closed her eyes, and pulled the trigger aiming at the head of the white fox with the blood-covered jaws only inches away.

Click.

The gun harmlessly advanced to the next chamber. Panicked, the doe tried, again and again. Each time being greeted with a similar but unsatisfying click of the empty weapon. Dropping the gun, the doe looked up at the smiling fox as he bared his teeth in a bloody smile that would visit her dreams for years to come.

"Such a dumb bunny," Anthony said as he kneeled next to the frightened doe. "I told you that revolver was for me." He said as he picked up the gun and returned it to a holster in his jacket.

A look of terror crossed the doe's face as Anthony reached out and brushed her cheek with a bloodstained claw. "Don't worry, little bunny. I'm not going to kill you. I need you to tell the Omni something. Let them know that it's my turf now. If any member of my Skulk sees an Omni, they will pay the price dearly. You'll pass this message for me, won't you?"

"I can't guarantee they will agree."

"Be persuasive little bunny. Because if you can't convince them, I will," Just then, the distant rumbling of an explosion was heard, causing Anthony to smile. "Don't worry, there aren't as many to convince as there were a few minutes ago."

Standing, Anthony walked back to where Sal was standing. "Let's go," He said to Sal as he walked by. "We have other things to do. Nice shot, slugger."

Pausing, Sal looked at the carnage being left behind. Shaking his head, he knew worse was to come.

-

At the same time, on the other side of Zootopia, Chief Bogo was unhappy." Hopps! My Office Now!" The Chief bellowed from railing overlooking the busy lobby of Precinct One.

Standing below, talking with the portly cheetah working the front desk, Judy Hopps cringed when she heard her name. It was evident from the tone of his voice that her boss was unhappy with her about something. Looking around, she found the eyes of every mammal in the lobby now focused on her. After Bogo's outburst, she wasn't surprised to be the center of attention. But she still hated to be stared at as she turned and walked slowly towards the elevators.

Stepping into the small elevator, Judy's face carried the look of a prisoner going to their execution. Unfortunately for Judy, these trips to see an unhappy Bogo were becoming more and more common. Ever since it happened, it seemed like she couldn't do anything right. Partner after a partner had complained to Bogo, and she would be dragged in to explain why she did what she did.

It only bugged Judy because the answer was always the same. She did what she did to catch a suspect. It was her job, and she was not going to apologize for doing it.

Exiting the elevator, Judy walked with a more determined step, ready to defend herself against whatever slander she was being accused of this time. Reaching the Chief's door, she knocked and waited impatiently to be called in, her foot tapping while she waited.

"Come in" was heard in Bogo's deep baritone.

Opening the door, Judy quietly walked in and closed the door behind her. Making her way to the front of Bogo's desk, she climbed up into one of the too-large chairs sitting there and turned to face the unhappy buffalo.

"Hopps," Bogo said as he removed his glasses and gently massaged the bridge of his nose, his voice betraying how tired he was. "How many times are we going to have this conversation?"

Without hesitation, Judy began her defense." Sir, catching criminals is my job. I might have been a little rough, but you can not expect me just to allow that weasel to get away.."

Bogo sighed, not interested in playing the games. "Hopps, You know damn, well that catching some small-time thief isn't why I called you in here." Then in an exasperated tone that made Judy more uncomfortable than if he were yelling, Bogo said, "It's about you and that fox."

"Sir," Judy started, her voice and demeanor agitated. "I know it was a little unorthodox,"

Cutting her off, Bogo interrupted, "Unorthodox? You have been practically stalking him since he arrived. I am giving you one chance to explain to me why I shouldn't take your badge."

Judy paused. She knew Bogo was mad but not that her badge was going to be on the line. "Sir," She started, clearly rattled. "My original goal was just to get him to open up, but then," Judy stopped and looked at the Chief, who was watching her intently. "I know this sounds crazy, but you have to believe me on this," Judy said as she fidgeted in her chair. "There is just something about him, and I know it doesn't make sense. I just feel it. It's him. It's Nick. If you would just spend some time with him, you would see. It's like…"

Not allowing her to finish, Bogo sprung from his chair, shouting and slamming his hooves on his desk, making Judy jump. "Wilde is dead." Bogo paused as he and Judy stared at each other. Feeling himself getting too worked up, Bogo paused. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths calming himself down before sitting back in his chair. After a few deep breaths, a now calmer buffalo looked at the bunny in front of him. "It was a tragedy. But Nick Wilde is dead! You watched him die. You saw his body. This fox, the one you are so obsessed with, is not your partner," the buffalo said in a forced calm.

Bogo stopped to watch the bunny, who sat silently in front of him. Taking a few more deep breaths, he continued." When is this going to end, Hopps?" Bogo said. "Since Wilde's death a year ago, you have gone through four different partners. Each one has come to me complaining about how you are reckless and dangerous. They think you've lost it. That you have a death wish. I've stood up for you every time. Now here you are, sure your dead partner has risen from the dead. Does that sound like someone I should have out on the streets?."

"Sir, I'm not crazy. I am still able to do my job." Judy said as she made eye contact with her boss, almost daring him to disagree.

Standing from his desk, Bogo looked at the tiny rabbit with sympathy in his eyes. "Maybe," Bogo said as he rose from his desk. Making his way across the office to a wall, Bogo stood with his back to Judy.

Staring at the wall searching, his eyes finally came to a rest on a picture of Judy and her previous partner, the first fox of the ZPD Nick Wilde. The photo was taken before Nick had joined the force. Right after the two had taken down two corrupt mayors and saved the city from a wave of savage mammals. Looking at the picture, Bogo sighed.

"Hopps, listen to yourself. You are saying you think your partner, who you witnessed die, is now alive or at least possessing some random fox who escaped from holding earlier today."

"Sir, it's not that simple," Judy started to protest only to be cut off.

"I forgot you had evidence. He was nice to you." Bogo said with a bit more sarcasm than he intended.

"He wasn't just nice, he saved me. I would be dead right now.…"

Turning his attention back to the pictures, Bogo took another deep breath to calm himself before he began to speak again. "Hopps, I know this is difficult, Unfortunately, if you've been on the force as long as I have, you get to know the pain of losing a partner or a friend. Being a cop is a tough job, and I know I haven't been fair to you," Bogo said as he continued to look a the old newspaper clippings. "I let my prejudice cloud my judgment when you started, and barely gave you a chance. You proved to be stronger than most of us. Then after we lost Wilde, I don't think I gave you the tools you needed to get better."

"Sir, I'm fine," Judy weakly protested, not fooling Bogo or even herself.

Ignoring her protest, Bogo continued. "I know things have been difficult for you. Burying a partner is never easy. Especially a partner that was as close as you and he were." Judy looked down towards her feet as her eyes began to get moist. Her mind was flooded with memories of her time with Nick.

Not turning around, Bogo continued to stare at the wall. "You know, I misjudged Wilde too. I didn't see the potential in him. Even though that damn fox had to be one of the most challenging officers I ever served with, I honestly had no idea how fine of an officer he would be. I would never admit it to his face, but even with all of the jokes and the hard times he gave me, I was still so proud of him." Feeling himself beginning to tear up, Bogo kept his back to Judy so she wouldn't see.

"It always hurts to lose one of our own, but his loss hit me especially hard. I know we aren't supposed to play favorites, but I always looked forward to sparring with him. I miss him. Unfortunately, I think my attempt to hide my own grief caused me to overlook yours."

As the buffalo turned to face Judy, she could have sworn she saw a bit of a tear in his eye before his stone exterior hardened again. "Sir, it's ok. I'm fine."

"No, Hopps, you're not. You need help, and it was unfair of me not to get it for you sooner,"

Judy looked around the room, not realizing exactly what was going on. "Ok, I'll go to the department shrink. I can fit it in around my caseload. Just don't give me another slacker like Johnson for a partner," Judy said with a bit of a laugh.

"Hopps, I'm not giving you another partner."

"You're putting me on desk duty?" Judy asked, slightly disappointed.

Bogo closed his eyes and shook his head. As a wave of realization flowed across Judy as panic set in. Suddenly animated, Judy jumped to her feet, Standing on the seat of the chair, "No, Please! Chief, you can't take my badge. Please, being a cop is everything I have. I, I need this," She said in a panic. "Please," Judy begged tears in her eyes.

Bending down so that he was looking at Judy in the eye. "I'm sorry, Hopps. You are an excellent cop. But until you deal with this thing with Wilde, I can't have you out on the streets. Please turn in your badge."

With tears in her eyes and shaking paws, Judy reached down and unpinned the gold shield from the front of her vest where it has been for the last few years. Placing the badge on his desk, Judy turned to leave his office when Bogo called her back.

"This will be waiting for you when you are ready." He called after the dejected bunny.

"Yes, Sir," Judy said weakly, as she walked from Bogo's office.

-

Back at the Fox's Den, a dive bar not far from where Sal lived in Happytown, Sal sat sipping a beer with his older brother Geno. "Anthony told me you did good today, little brother," The heavier red fox said happily. "You keep that up you will be a full member of the Skulk in no time."

Taking a sip of his beer Sal looked at past Geno and at a tv playing some replays from the ball game that just ended. "Not sure that's what I want anymore." He said casually.

Geno frowned. "What? You've wanted to be made for as long as I've known you. Now you change your mind? Why? That bunny doe get in your head? I heard about how you two's little late-night chats. And don't think I didn't see what happened earlier."

Annoyed Sal looking away from his brother. "Nothing happened, and the talks was just me seeing what she knows."

Geno scowled. "It didn't look like nothing. If Anthony finds out you aren't following orders, forget being made. You'll be lucky if he isn't wearing that pretty red fur of yours." Geno said, concerned about his brother. "You're a fox. Don't forget who takes care of you,"

"I know, I know."


	2. The Chase.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A jump back two weeks see's Judy's reckless behavior and the decision that sets her on a collision course that will dig up some buried feelings and open old wounds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- This was originally half of the first chapter. But I felt it didn't do a good enough job of hooking the reader or conveying what the story was about so I split this chapter, and created a new opener, the flash-forward you saw last week.

** Almost two weeks ago, just after the arrest of most of El Gato. **

It was another beautiful and sunny day in the City Center of Zootopia. Officer Ernie Rogan, a warthog, was enjoying the peaceful day. Officer Rogan, like many members of the organized task force, had been given laid back, low-stress assignments as a reward for their hard work in the months before bringing down El Gato, a feline criminal organization that controlled the drug traffic throughout a large portion of the city. 

Enjoying his well-deserved break, Rogan sat in his squad car, enjoying the pleasant weather and watching pedestrians walk by. There wasn't much to do in the City Center for the ZPD. Their primary responsibility here was to be seen. With most of the traffic being on foot, they rarely gave out tickets or had to direct traffic. The only thing the ZPD was typically called upon to handle was the occasional pickpocket or shoplifter. 

It was one of the more relaxed patrols that made it highly coveted among, the more senior and less physically gifted Officers. A description that fit the slightly out of shape Rogan to a T. Leaning back in the passenger seat of the cruiser, he looked to his left to see his new partner, not enjoying her day at all. 

Unlike Rogan, Officer Judy Hopps was in great shape and ready for an exciting day out on the beat. Every day she got up and looked forward to changing the world one lawbreaker at a time. But like Rogan, she sat in the car waiting for something to do. "I am so bored!" she said in an exasperated tone as she dropped her head against the steering wheel of the patrol car. 

"Take it easy, Hopps. You have to enjoy times like this." Rogan said as he loosened his seatbelt a bit to make himself more comfortable. "It's like a being on vacation and getting paid to do it!" Rogan said in a pleased tone as he folded his arms behind his head. 

'I don't need a vacation. I need something to do. Where is a criminal when you need one? I mean seriously. That Ice cream vendor has his cashbox just sitting out there." Judy said in an attempt at humor that instead only drew a bored and condescending look from her new partner.

Looking back out the window, Officer Rogan sighed. He knew Judy's reputation and knew why she had been given this patrol. Unlike him, Judy was assigned this low activity patrol, not as a reward. Instead, she was given the patrol in the hopes it would keep her out of trouble and out of Bogo's office for a few days. 

Formally, Judy Hopps was easily one of the ZPD's best officers. But then, her partner died in the line of duty, and something changed. She was still as driven as ever, but she started taking unnecessary risks, often charging headfirst into a situation without a care for her or who was with her's safety. 

This complete lack of situational awareness made it difficult for her to work with anyone. Other officers didn't trust her to have their backs, not out of any malicious reason, but they worried she would be distracted or out of position. This uncertainty has caused three different officers to request transfers to work with other officers. 

"Take a deep breath Hopps," Rogan said in a gruff voice that was equal parts caring and annoyance. "Just enjoy the quiet." 

"All cars, all cars," The radio suddenly blasted, breaking the serene quiet of the day. "Be on the lookout for an old blue city road crew van with plate number D1153. He was last seen driving through City Center. The suspect is a male weasel. We don't believe he is armed but still proceed with caution." 

Looking up from the steering wheel and leaning forward in her seat, a suddenly energized Judy was hopeful, starting into the only intersection that could see. She carefully examined each car desperate to find the van that dispatch told them to be on the lookout for. 

"Relax Hopps," Rogan said. "If it comes this way, we'll see it." Rogan smiled, knowing that the odds of the van appearing by them in an area that was mostly paw traffic were slim. No thief with any common sense would risk driving through this area. It was too busy, and they always had patrols here. The ZPD even had a reserved spot in the parking lot, so it was more comfortable when they had to patrol on foot. Closing his eyes, Rogan leaned back and relaxed, determined to enjoy the sun and pleasant weather.

"YES!" Judy yelled suddenly, jerking Rogan from his relaxing position. 

"What? What is it?" He asked, trying to see what had gotten the bunny so excited. But Judy didn't answer. She was already in motion getting the patrol car in gear and onto the road. Looking out the front window, Rogan saw what had his partner so excited. There, sitting at the red light in the intersection in front of them was the blue city road crew van with plates matching the number they were looking for.

Tightening down his seatbelt Rogen mumbled to himself as he turned on the siren, "That dumb son of a.." 

"Come to Mamma," Judy said excitedly, as she slammed her foot on the gas pedal, speeding around a couple of the cars closing the distance between the van and her patrol car.

Grabbing ahold of the dash, Rogan nervously turned to look at Judy." Now Hopps, let's not do anything stupid. Let's do it by the book. We call it in and follow at a safe distance until back up arrives. They said to proceed with caution, remember."

"I'm being cautious," She answered back. Even if Rogan didn't exactly agree with her. 

Grabbing the radio, Rogan called the situation in. "Dispatch, this is Rogan, Hopps, and I are in pursuit of the stolen van, requesting back up. We are almost to Central Park, on our way to To Tundra Town From the City Center. 

"Rodger that, Rogan. Back up is on the way."

In the van ahead, the weasel swore at the sight red and blue flashing lights of Judy and Rogan's police cruiser pulling up behind him. Pressing down on the van's accelerator, he began to speed up and weaving through the heavy traffic, trying to put distance between him and the officers in pursuit. 

"Get out of the way!" Judy called out to the cars in front of her. "Can't you see the lights?" She said in an annoyed voice as cruiser she was driving picked up speed to match that of the van she was chasing while swerving and dodging the other cars on the road. 

In the passenger seat, Officer Rogan was growing more and more nervous as he bounced around in his chair. Repeatedly, he would cringe and brace for an impact that didn't come as Judy would narrowly miss clipping another car as she squeezed by in her pursuit of the van up ahead. 

At one point, the weasel risked tipping the van over as he turned the wheel hard to make a sharp turn to try and lose the police cruiser behind him. Matching the weasel, Judy turned just as hard, but the better-equipped police cruiser gripped the road and turned to keep behind the van. 

"Nice try," Judy said to the other driver, even though he couldn't hear her. 

"Hopps be careful," Rogan warned as he continued to be tossed about in his seat.

Glancing in his rear-view mirror, the weasel saw that he was unable to shake the police cruiser right behind him. He knew he needed to think of something fast. Fortunately for him, an opportunity quickly presented its self. Up ahead, there was a busy intersection. He smiled as an idea entered his head. 

Pressing the gas pedal to the floor, he sped towards oncoming traffic and the red light up ahead. Dodging the cars waiting patiently for the light to change, the van burst into the intersection, narrowly missing cars crossing in front of him. 

With horns blaring and breaks squealing, car after a car slammed into each other as they swerved to miss the van as it ran through the intersection. In no time, the entire intersection was one giant accident with no way for the speeding police cruiser to pass.

Looking behind him, the weasel smiled as he quickly turned onto another road, confident that he will have lost the police following him.

"Hopps!" Rogan said as he pointed to the massive pile-up of cars ahead of them. "Hopps, Slow down! Hopps, Hopps!" He continued to scream, finally covering his eyes, expecting impact. 

But Judy didn't slow down or hit those cars. Instead, Judy slammed on the brakes and jumped the curb. Taking the cruiser onto the sidewalk as pedestrians scurried out of the way. 

"Hopps!?!" Rogan yelled as Judy clipped a sidewalk display of fruit, sending apples, oranges, bananas, and melons scattered about in her wake. "Are you crazy?!"

But Judy didn't answer instead focusing on the van, which was turning right at the next intersection, placing a brick wall between her and her target. "Hold on, we're going to the park," She said as she took the patrol car off-road and onto a dirt path in Central Park. 

"The park?" Rogan said, not believing what he had just heard. "There aren't any roads through the park." 

Smiling Judy directed cruiser hard around the stone pillars that marked the entrance to the park and gunned the engine down the main path leading through the park, Just missing an ice cream vendor who had set up there. Looking out the driver's window, Judy could see the van as it rushed along the side of the park. 

Driving along the pedestrian walkway, mammals of all sizes were darting out of the way of the oncoming cruiser. Continuing to weave between and around the trees and picnic tables of the park, Judy continued pursuit. "Rogan, this is dispatch. We have backup on their way. Where are you exactly? Over."

Grabbing the radio, Rogan answered. "We are in Central Park, over."

"I didn't get that. Are you in the park? Are you on foot?"'

"No.."

"She didn't…." The dispatcher said in disbelief.

"He's going to turn again, we have to get out of this park," Judy said to herself.

"Yes! Out of the park and back on the road. Great Idea. I wholeheartedly support that plan!." Rogan yelled frantically at Judy as she ignored him. 

"There!" Judy said, pointing towards an exit through the brick wall where the Blue road crew van happened to be stopped for a red light believing he had lost the police officers on his tail, and not wanting to draw any more attention. 

Seeing the exit, Rogan's eyes got wide. "That's on the other side of that creek! How do you expect to…" Before he could finish, Judy floored the accelerator and sped down the hill towards a small bridge barely the police cruiser's width. "You have to be kidding me," Rogan said as he tightened his safety belt. 

"This is a bad idea. Hopps, this is a bad idea. THIS IS A BAD IDEA!" Rogan yelled as Judy continued to pick up speed. "HOPPS!" He said as they hit the tiny bridge, sending them airborne. At the rate they were going, they easily cleared the creek and landed halfway out of the park. There, the cruiser skipped twice but somehow held together as they were now driving next to the blue van.

Judy swerved to regain control of the police cruiser as she picked up speed to stay even with the now accelerating van. "Pull Over!" She yelled into the open window of the van as they sped along side by side. 

Shocked to see the police cruiser appear suddenly next to him, the weasel swerved left in surprise but quickly regained control of the van. 

"Rogan, take the wheel," Judy said as she removed her seat belt and started to climb out the driver's window.

A confused look crossed Officer Rogan's face as he tried to decide if she was serious. "Take the wheel?" He asked, not believing what he was seeing. 

Standing on the window frame of the door, Judy prepared to jump into the van speeding next to their car. "Hopps! This is crazy!" Rogan yelled over the sounds of the wind whipping past the window. "Get back in the car!" He said as he removed his safety belt and slid into the driver's seat while at the same time trying to reach for his partner to stop her from jumping. 

But Rogan wasn't quick enough. Judy launched herself from the police cruiser towards the passenger window of the blue van. "That crazy, suicidal, idiotic bunny!" Rogan yelled as he reached for the radio. "Dispatch! Where is back up?"

Inside the blue van, the weasel driving was thinking similar things once Judy surprisingly flew in his passenger window. 

"I said, pull over!" Judy yelled as she grabbed the steering wheel, causing the van to veer to the right as she pulled on the wheel.

"Are you crazy, lady?" The weasel yelled as he fought to maintain control of the van. 

Dropping back, so he was behind the van, Rogan watched as it swerved and narrowly missed hitting other cars. 

"Pull over, and we can talk about it," Judy sniped as he kicked at the weasel while pulling the wheel.

Behind them, Rogan watched the van as dispatch answered. "Rogan back up is about a minute from your location."

"Ok, oh, and Officer Hopps is no longer in the vehicle with me," Rogan said much calmer as he resigned himself to spectacle he was watching. 

A confused voice answered him over the radio. "Rogan, this is dispatch, where is Hopps?"

Not taking his eyes off of the van, Rogan spoke into the handset. "She's in the van," he said calmly, numb to the craziness he was watching. 

"She what?" The dispatch asked in shock.

In the van, Judy and the weasel continued to struggle for control as the van maintained speed. With neither bunny nor weasel strapped in the two bounced around the cab, threatening to fall out the open windows after each hit or swerve. Deciding to change her tactic, Judy reached for the emergency brake. "We're done here," she said as she pulled the brake, causing the van's wheels to instantly lock up and skid out of control. Rogan watched as the van slid along the pavement, started to turn sideways, and finally tipping on its side before sliding to a stop. 

Slamming on his own breaks, Rogan brought the police cruiser to a stop near the wreak. Still dumbfounded by what he saw a speechless Rogan bolted out of his car to see if his partner or the suspect she was fighting were hurt or worse. But before he could climb up on the now sky facing side of the van, the passenger door flew open. Out jumped a slightly bloodied Judy, with the weasel in tow. 

Dropping the offending mammal on the pavement, she looked at Rogan and said, "book em," as she jumped down, walked past Rogan, and back to their squad car. Watching her go, Rogan grabbed his belt radio to turn in the news. 

Dealing with the fall out of Judy's car chase took up the rest of the day. First, at the scene and then later at the hospital where Rogan had to wait as Judy reluctantly received stitches for the cut she received in the crash. 

After Dropping Judy off at her apartment, Rogan sighed. Tomorrow would be no better as it would most likely be occupied with reports and him explaining to his superiors how he and his partner justified the damage and labor needed to clean up after a car chase for a suspect that stole less than $1000.

Glancing at Bogo's office door, it didn't take long for Rogan to make the decision. Tentatively, he walked over to the door, worried about Bogo's response. But Rogan's mind was made up, and he knocked on the door and peeked into Bogo's office. "Hey Chief, You got a minute?"

"No," Bogo said in his usual annoyed monotone, not bothering to look up. Yet fully expecting the warthog to enter anyway. 

"Chief, I hate to do this to you, I really do," Rogan said apologetically, knowing the struggle finding a new partner for Officer Hopps has been. "But, I need you to resign me. I can't work with that bunny anymore."

Sighing, Bogo put down the paper he was reading and took off his glasses. "It was one day. You spent one day with her. One day that isn't even over yet." He said, his voice a bit raspy and annoyed. 

"Look, I know. But I can tell it isn't going to work." Rogan said. "High speed chases through Central Park? Jumping into moving cars? We just aren't a good fit." Rogan said, trying to be a calm and diplomatic as possible. 

Bogo shook his head. "You don't think you could give it another day? Tomorrow will probably be calmer."

"Sir, I don't need calm. But I also don't need to worry that my partner is the one that's going to be getting me killed. That bunny might not care about her own life, but if she keeps up the way she's going," Rogan paused as he looked for a diplomatic way to voice his concern. "Look, Chief. She's a good cop. But I don't want to be the poor sap who she takes with her."

Reluctantly Bogo nodded. It was the same speech he heard from each of her previous partners. "Thank you, Officer. Your request is noted, and you will be assigned to a new partner tomorrow."

"Thanks, Chief," Rogan said as he turned and left Bogo's office. 

Sitting there in silence, Bogo Dropped his head into his hooves. He knew Rogan was right. Hopps was getting reckless, and if she weren't careful, she would end up taking someone else down with her. 

The choice was clear. Hopps needed to be pulled out of the field. If it were any other officer, he probably would have done it already. But here, once again, he paused. He had fought so hard to get where she was. Often that fight was against those who were supposed to support her. 

Now, she needed them again, and Bogo just couldn't bring himself to do it. He couldn't abandon her again. Reaching into his top desk drawer, Bogo removed a bottled of aged single malt scotch. It was a gift from the mayor back when he made Chief, and Bogo only ever drank from it on his toughest days as Chief.

Pouring himself a finger's worth, he quickly returned the bottle to its hiding spot in his desk. 

Holding up the glass, Bogo looked at the amber liquid. "If only you could tell me what to do." He asked the spirit before he swallowed the small amount of scotch. Setting the glass down, Bogo starred at his desk in silence, unaware that he was being watched.

"Never a good sign when the scotch is out before lunch chief." Officer Nadine Fangmeyer said as she peeked her head into her boss's office.

"It isn't." The Buffalo said as he toyed with the empty glass on his desk with a sigh. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Chief," She answered, a concerned look on her face as she walked further into Bogo's office. "Is this a close the door type of question?"

"Yes," He answered. Bogo waited for the door to be shut and for Fangmeyer to sit down before he started.

"It's Hopps," Bogo said as a wave of understanding washed over Nadine. "I'm sure you heard about today's events, and, just like the rest of them, Rogan asked to be removed as her partner."

Nodding, Nadine continued to listen. 

"You know Hopps is a fine officer. But lately, ever since we lost Wilde, she hasn't been her self. She is reckless and taking chances. Common sense says to pull her off patrol, but it just feels wrong. Like I am betraying her again."

"Sir," Nadine said. "You aren't betraying her because it is obvious you care about her like you do all of us. But can I offer a different solution?"

With an exasperated sigh, Bogo said, "I'm all ears."

"Put her with me."

"With you?" Bogo asked, surprised by her answer.

"Yeah. I'm not on active patrols but on research. I'm interviewing mammals trying to find out about the fall out of our taking down El Gato. Hopps would still be doing police work, but not chasing criminals or making arrests."

Bogo nodded. "That could work, but what about your current partner? Don't you think Wolford would have something to say about this?"

Fangmeyer smiled. "I'll handle that fleabag. You just give him some promising rookie, and I'll stroke his ego enough. He will be bragging about it in no time." 

Surprisingly Bogo smiled. "I think this could work. I just have to know why? Why are you offering to do this knowing how much of a pain Hopps has been with everyone else?" 

"She's my friend," Nadine answered truthfully. "I owe her the chance to get back on her feet."

"Ok," Bogo said. "I'll tell Hopps. You handle Wolford."

Fangmeyer smiled as she stood from her chair.

"and Nadine?" Bogo said, surprising her by using her first name.

"Yes, Chief?"

"Thanks."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is Bogo wrong for giving Judy another chance? Especially when we know where it will end up? What do you think goes so wrong between this chapter and the events we saw in the first? Let me know your thoughts!
> 
> Next time, Judy and Fangmeyer begin their investigation into the Skulk and the skeletons they have hidden in their closets.


	3. New Partners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wolford finds out he has a new partner, and Judy and Fangmeyer begin their first investigation.

Seated in the break room of Precinct One, a heated discussion was taking place between now-former patterns Nadine Fangmeyer and James Wolford. "You did what?!" Wolford said as he stared in shock at his partner for the last few years. 

Fumbling, a bit unprepared for the emotional response she was getting from the wolf, Nadine looked at him. "I volunteered to work with Hopps for a while," Nadine said. A sentence that seemed to shock and disappoint the wolf sitting across from her. "She's been having a hard time and needed a partner. If I didn't step up, Bogo was considering suspending her. So I just sorta said I would."

"Just, sorta? James yelled. "Glad to know our partnership meant so much to you. 

"James, it isn't like that."

Angrily, James gestured wildly. "I get that Judy needed help, and I know she's your friend. She's my friend too. But we've been partners for years! Don't you think maybe I deserve a heads up that you were thinking about making a change before you did it? 

"I didn't have time. I just happened to be walking by Bogo's office when this happened." Nadine said defensively. "I didn't realize you would be this upset."

James scowled. "Of course, I'm upset! I just don't understand. Are you mad at me? Is it something I did?" Wolford stood from the table and began to pace. "I, I just," Walking back to the table, James leaned back on it, looking Nadine in the eye. "I just need to know why? Just tell me the truth. What did I do wrong? Is it because of?" Wolford paused and looked around momentarily to make sure no one was listening as he sat back down at the table. "I thought things were going well between us. You know how I feel about you. Was it too soon, me asking about the apartment? Do you want a break?"

Nadine smiled lovingly at the panicking wolf as the real reason for his anger became apparent. Reaching across the table, she placed her paw on his, causing him to stop talking and look at her. "James, there is nothing wrong with us, you silly wolf. Our friend just needs some help."

"Are you sure?" He asked again, with a look of concern still hanging on his face. "You're happy, right? With me, I mean? I don't want to lose you," He asked, still worried he wasn't getting the entire story.

Nadine laughed. "Of course, I'm sure, and I don't want to lose you either. Where else am I going to find my very own scruffy wolf." Wolford smiled as Nadine reassured him. "And yes, I still want to look for a place, and I still want to be your partner in more ways than one. This isn't permanent. But right now, Judy needs our help." Her voice getting quiet, Nadine continued in a more serious tone. "I don't know if you noticed, but she just isn't really getting over Nick."

James looked down as a slight wave of sadness rolled over him. "I noticed. She hasn't been the same since we lost that sly fox."

Shaking her head, the tiger looked downtrodden. "They really did love each other, it's a shame they never got together. But both of them were too scared to say anything." 

"He was planning on telling her. We were talking about it a few days before he died. He was just trying to find the perfect way to do it. He was so scared she didn't feel the same way. That dumb fox couldn't see how obviously head over heels she was for him."

"A trait that seems common among the canids in this precinct." Nadine teased as she squeezed James's paw. 

Mocking indignation James looked at the tiger. "I noticed,”

"Once Nick pointed it out." 

"I still noticed," James said with a bit of a huff.

Standing from the table. Nadine smiled at her wolf. "I have to go meet Judy, and I'm sure you have some rookie to scare." Looking around quickly to make sure they weren't being watched, Nadine bent down and kissed James lovingly. "I'll see you tonight," She said as she walked away, swaying her hips and bringing a smile to the wolf's face as he watched her leave. 

-

It was a little bit later that Nadine sat in her ZPD cruiser, with Judy seated next to her. They had greeted each other warmly, but, once in the car, they quickly fell into the uncomfortable silence that now filled the cab of the vehicle like some foul odor. Glancing to her side, Nadine watched as her new partner shifted nervously in her seat.

Judy's probably mad about me. Nadine thought. She has to know that I volunteered to be her partner. She probably thinks I feel sorry for her or something.

Taking a deep breath, Nadine called out to her new partner. "Judy," the tiger said, preparing to explain why she stepped into the unwanted role. But before the tiger could continue, a suddenly contrite Judy interrupted her. 

"I'm sorry," Judy said meekly, as she glanced at the tiger before looking back at the floor. "I didn't mean for you and James to be split up. I know I went overboard and scared away another partner. Still, I never intended for you to be punished as a result.

Confused, Nadine glanced at the bunny before returning her eyes to the road. "What? Punished?"

"I mean, I appreciate you being willing to work with me. I know no one else wants to, and I know you must have been disappointed to hear about the assignment. I'm sorry it split you and Wolford up. I know how special it had to have been to work with him. I know how mad I would have been if some coworker got in trouble, and it resulted in Nick and I splitting up…” Judy fell silent, not finishing her sentence. Her memory of the fox stealing her words and managing to make her feel even worse.

Stopping at a red light, Nadine turned to look at her new partner. "Judy, I volunteered to be your partner."

Fighting in her seat, Judy looked down and continued. "It's still something most mammals wouldn't do for a coworker,"

The light turned green, but Fangmeyer continued. "Judy, I didn't see some coworker in trouble. I saw you in trouble. I saw that you, Judy Hopps, needed a friend. I hope you know I'm your friend. So is James. We're here for you. As for James and I working together, Yes, I like working with him, but," Nadine paused a smile breaking out on her face as she thought about her and Jame's big news. "I'll tell you a little secret. We are moving in together, so he is going to be seeing plenty of me."

Suddenly excited, and seemingly completely forgetting about the conversation that was going just moments before, Judy's ears shot straight up as she reacted to Nadine's news. "Really?! That's so exciting. I'm so happy for the two of you." Judy said with a big smile on her face. "So I take it things are going well between you two?"

With it being her turn to be slightly embarrassed, Nadine looked out her window to steady herself for a second. Then, she happily turned back to look at Judy with an equally broad smile on her face. "I'm so in love with him!" She gushed. "We are trying to take our time, but I think he may be the one!"

Somehow, Judy's smile managed to get even bigger as she squealed in delight at her friend's good news. "Did you bring up moving in or,"

Nadine didn't wait for Judy to finish her sentence. 

"He did!" She said happily. "We were in the dump of an apartment I've been living in, just watching a movie. When out of nowhere, he suggested we get a place together. So we started looking around, With our combined paychecks we could get a nice little one-bedroom apartment right in the City Center!" 

As they continued driving through Zootopia, Judy bounced happily on the seat. "Nadine, that is wonderful," she said.

"You helped get us together." Nadine answered, "I owed you. Which is why I didn't hesitate when Bogo told me you needed someone."

Judy's smile faded a bit but didn't disappear. "You don't owe me anything," She said to the tiger sitting next to her. "Nick did most of the work." 

Looking to her partner, Nadine sighed to see the crestfallen look of defeat the rabbit once again had. Nadine's heart went out to the bunny, knowing how much she missed her fox. But they would be at their destination soon, and police work would hopefully snap her out of her funk. 

A few minutes later, Judy glanced up from the floor and looked out the window to see the bright colors and fancy buildings of downtown Zootopia gone. In their place was the rundown dreariness of the district known as Happytown. 

Forty years ago, this was a growing suburb of Zootopia. Filled with families and a few small businesses. It was one of the neighborhoods mammals aspired to live in. But now, this area was little more than a ghetto. Jobs and prosperity, having fled, left crime, poverty, and crumbling buildings and infrastructure in its wake long ago.

Judy didn't even know this place existed until Nick brought her here after she insisted on seeing where he grew up. It would have been an understatement to say she was shocked to see it. This was a part of Zootopia that didn't appear on the brochures or in the travel commercials she saw back in Bunnyburrow.

"Why are we here? What's going on in Happytown?" Judy inquired of Nadine as she watched mammals untrustingly stare at the patrol car from the sidewalks and windows along the street.

Taking a deep breath, Nadine looked out across the city. "With as bad as it looks out there, our sources say things are about to get worse. About a month ago, Mchorn, Higgins Rogan, and Grizzoli made a huge drug bust. A few million dollars worth of huff. It basically bankrupted the Gato gang. With them gone, a new group has been making moves to fill their shoes."

"Who is taking their place?" Judy asked. 

Two groups have both made moves to fill the void. Both are smaller gangs, made up mostly of mammals that live around here. The first is the Omni. It's a group of mid sized mammals, both prey and predator.

"At least they are inclusive," Judy joked, trying to lighten the sour mood in the car. 

"Omni's big draw is how open they are in welcoming new recruits. Joining the Omni is easy. Their strength comes from their numbers. It has been what has allowed them to grow their territory so easily. They are primarily small-time crooks, they have only recently started to move into larger crimes."

"Like?" Judy asked. 

"Drugs being the biggest one. Mainly the manufacture of huff and a few other nasty things mammals put in their bodies to get high."

Judy kidded as she listened. 

"The other group we know less about." Nadine said, "They have been called a few different names. The Skulk, the Glee Club, The ghosts. All we know for sure is that they are based here in Happytown, and Nadine paused. It hadn't occurred to her before this moment, but she might have a problem. "They," she paused again, looking at Judy, "They are all foxes." 

"Oh," Judy said quietly before looking down at her service tranquilizer. 

Pulling the car to a stop in front of the address they were driving to, Nadine looked at Judy. "Are you ok? If you don't feel ok with this, or, I mean, if you are uncomfortable, I can get someone else."

Slightly offended, Judy turned to the tiger. "I'm a big girl. I can tell the difference between foxes, and I can do my job. So why are we here?"

"We are going to meet with two small timers with connections, a pair of brothers. Hopefully, one of them will be able to give us some information. The older brother Geno is just a foot soldier. But his brother, Sal, seems to be a favorite of this mysterious white fox that is their leader. I'm hoping one of them will be loose-lipped enough to give us something to work on." Nadine said. 

Looking out her window at the dilapidated house in front of them, Judy posed one more question of Nadine. "Anything else I should know?"

"No, It's just, Judy, I'm sorry, a few minutes ago, I didn't mean to inferâ€¦." Nadine started to say, but Judy wasn't listening, having already exited the car. "Damn it," Nadine said to her self as she quickly got the things she would need and hurried to catch up to the small bunny she had just offended.

Approaching the house, both officers walked carefully. They both knew that cops were not very welcome around here. Nadine and Judy both made sure to try and carry themselves as casual as possible. They didn't want to be viewed as the enemy. All they were here for was information. 

Walking up to the small older two-story house, Judy noted how it was painted white with a black roof, and how like most of the homes on this block, it looked like it had seen better days. As the two officers climbed the front steps, they heard the old wood creak under their weight. 

Knocking on the door, Nadine stood squarely in the door frame using her larger size to block anyone who might rush the door. To her side, with one paw on her sidearm, was Judy, ready to assist if needed. "One moment," They heard an older female voice call warmly from inside the house. 

A few moments later, an older red fox vixen, with white fur on her muzzle, opened the door. "Hello, officers," The vixen said with a polite smile. "How can I help you today?" 

Addressing the vixen as politely as she could, Nadine said, "Ma'am, My name is Officer Fangmeyer. This is Officer Hopps. We were curious if Geno Rosso is home and if we might have a word with him?"

A worried look crossed the vixen's face. "Geno's down in the basement playing video games, He's not in trouble is he?" The vixen asked as she stepped back from the door. 

Judy shook her head to the negative. "We just want to ask him a few questions. We're hoping he might have seen something that will help us in an investigation."

Relieved, the vixen said, "I'll go get him," She paused for a second as if to decide before waving the two officers in. "Come in, sit down." Motioning for the two officers to take a seat in the quaint living room. The older vixen walked to the top of the basement stairs, located just a few feet to the left of the front door. She called down to Geno before turning back to the officers. "Would you two ladies like anything? Some tea, perhaps?"

"That would be great. Thank you," Judy said with a smile as she and Nadine stood in the family room of the small house. Left alone, the two officers looked around the room. On the walls, there were pictures of two young foxes smiling and a few photos of each boy with the vixen who must be their mother. Judy couldn't help but linger on one as she wondered if this is what Nick looked like as a kit. She smiled as she remembered how He was always so defensive whenever his mother tried to bring out old photos.

Turning away from the pictures, Judy noticed a stack of about twenty-five small boxes sitting nearby with a blanket haphazardly draped over them. On the side of each box was the unmistakable logo for the iCarrot phone. "How many iCarrots went missing from that phone store over in Sahara Square yesterday?" Judy whispered to her partner, calling her attention to her find. 

"About twenty-five," Nadine answered.

Judy smiled. "This might be more than just talk," She said. 

It was only a few minutes later that the two female officers heard the sounds of someone climbing the stairs. Turning towards the basement door, the two saw Geno, a red fox in his forties of average height and above-average weight crest the stairs. "What do you two want?" He asked as soon as he saw the police. 

"We just want to ask you a few questions," Nadine said. "There have been some rumors of an old friend of yours expanding his business here in Happytown. If that's happening, we were hoping you could tell us about it,"

Geno shook his head. "Sorry to waste your time, ladies, but I don't know nothing about that stuff no more."

"I see," Nadine said. "So, you're not still part of the Glee Club?" She said, using the derogatory name of the gang to see if she could get a rise out of the fox. 

Maintaining his cool, Geno began to laugh as he answered, "Na, I went clean. Besides, from what I hear they are lead by a _ghost_ now,"

"Here's your tea, dears," the vixen said, returning from the kitchen and handing a small tee cup to first Nadine and then to Judy.

"They don't need no tea Ma. They were just leaving," a smug Geno said. 

"Unfortunately, Geno couldn't help us out with our case. But, he might be able to answer another question for us." Nadine said with a smile. 

"What's that? You ladies looking for a date or something?" Geno smiled as he looked Nadine over, "I ain't never dated a tiger before,"

Leaning towards him with a flirty smile, Nadine looked at Geno. "If only I wasn't spoken for," Nadine said in a mock flirty voice. "For now, I'm just going to have to settle for you telling me where you got those iCarrots from?" She said with a nod of her head in the direction of the phones. 

Looking at the pile of phones, Geno's shoulders dropped, and a look of disgust crossed his face. "Shit," He said, knowing there was no point in arguing. 

"That's kinda what I thought," Nadine said as she pulled a pair of paw cuffs from her belt and began to cuff Geno.

"You stole those phones?" Geno's mother asked. 

"Ma, It's not that simple."

"Geno, did you, your brother, or one of your little friends take those phones without paying for them yes or no?"

“Ma…”

Grabbing a magazine sitting on a nearby table, the vixen started to beat Geno with it. "Giovanni Rosso, you idiot! You told me you were done with this type of thing. Do I need to remind you what happened to your brother? Do I need to lose another pup to that stupid Skulk!

The vixen paused, a realization coming over her, "You have Sal involved in this too, don't you? Don't you? He's supposed to be getting better!" 

Looking at the officers who were doing nothing while he was getting hit, Geno looked for help. "You're just going to stand there? Ow, Ma, stop it!" Turning back to the officers, Geno shouted, "Arrest me already!"

Stepping between the vixen and her son Nadine did her best to stifle the laugh as she said, "Ma'am, please stop hitting your grown son." While Judy pulled Geno away from his mother's assault. 

"What's all the noise?" Another voice said as footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs. 

“That’s Sal,” The vixen said about the voice coming from the basement. Calling down the stairs, she asked, "Did you know about this? That your brother’s still a crook?”

“Well, yeah,” Sal said with a shrug of his shoulders as he stepped into the room.

Judy was preparing to escort Geno out the door when she turned back to look at the other fox. Mouth agape, she paused as she stared, unable to move or talk. 

A sly smile crossed Sal's face. "Hey bunny, See something you like?" He said, mocking Judy as she stood there motionless.

Judy was frozen but let one word escape her lips. "Nick?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I know this one is a little bit shorter than I normally write. But I felt like that was a good place to leave it.


	4. It's Nice to Meet you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judy learns more about Sal and finally admits what she lost.

"Nick?"

Judy repeated as she stared wide-eyed at the profile of the fox who had just entered the room. With a confused look on his face, the fox in question turned to face Judy. "I think you might have me confused with someone else there short stuff," Sal said in a gravelly voice, as his initial look of confusion turned into a smirk. "The name's actually Salvador Rosso," He said as he looked at Judy.

Starting at Judy, Nadine froze, a look of concern appearing on the tiger's face. "Judy," She said, trying to draw the bunny's attention away from the fox. Who admittedly did bear a resemblance to Judy's former partner. 

Still holding on to Geno, Judy stared at the new fox. With the initial shock had worn off, she now looked at him closer. It was true, he looked a lot like Nick. But now, she did notice a few differences. First was obviously his voice, which sounded like Nick, if Nick had a horrible smoking habit. 

But there were physical differences too. Like his older brother, Sal was a little overweight, in stark contrast to the lean fox she used to sneak peeks at when he wasn't looking. Sal's fur was also a lighter color then the deep orange Nick's coat was. There was the absence of the brownish-black fur that tipped Nick's ears and paws. In its place was a lighter, almost tan color fur that Judy had never seen on a fox before. 

Upon closer inspection, Sal's face was different too. It was fuller missing Nick's sharp cheekbones. Sal also had an issue with his right eye. The eyelid was a bit droopy, giving him the appearance of an almost constant squint. He must have been injured at some point, Judy surmised, as his pictures on the walls lacked this distinctive feature. His eyes were green like Nick's, but they were duller, empty. Lacking all of the warmth and signs of the kind heart that her fox possessed. 

Snapping Judy from her thoughts was the voice of the vixen yelling at her cubs. "I can't believe you two. After everything that happened. How many members of this family have to end up behind bars or dead for you tods to learn there is a better way to do things!?" She cried.

Not waiting for the officers to answer, the tod's mother turned to Sal. Like she did to Geno, she started to attack him with her weaponized magazine. "I expect this sort of idiocy from him," the vixen said as she pointed to Geno. But not from you. After what happened, I thought you would have learned." She said as she smacked Sal on the nose with the folded periodical. 

"Ma!" Sal called out as he raised his paws to try and block the incoming magazine and defended himself.

Breaking out of her stupor, Nadine again separated the vixen from one of her sons. "Sal Rosso? You are under arrest." She said as she started to place him paw cuffs.

"Really?" He asked, "She was the one hitting me."

"You would send your mother to jail, you no good thief!" His mother called out as she swung the magazine again. Connecting once again with his nose. 

Stifling a laugh, Nadine began to read Sal his rights. "Sal Rosso, you are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney…”

Also snapping out of her momentary trance, Judy was back to business, leading Geno towards the front door as the vixen continued to berate her two delinquent adult children. 

Taking pity on the poor vixen, Nadine turned to her. "Ma'am, I'm sorry. But we have to…”

But the vixen wasn't hearing it. In a personality change that took both officers by surprise, the kind vixen was now angry at her previously welcome house guests. "You two are just as bad." She said as he pointed a claw at Nadine. "You lied to me. You said my cubs weren't in trouble."

"They weren't until we found the stolen iCarrots here," Nadine said in her own defense. 

But the vixen wasn't done. "You tricked me. Just to get in here so you could find something. I never should have let you two into my home. I should have known you were just looking for a reason to arrest them. That's what you cops do, right? Look for ways to get more foxes behind bars." 

Protesting Judy took a step forward. "It's not like that at all,” 

"I don't want to hear it, little bunny," The vixen said. "You are probably enjoying this more than her," The vixen said, motioning towards Nadine. One more fox safely tucked behind bars so you can pop out a few hundred kits who never have to worry about any big evil predators getting them."

"Ma'am, I'll have you know…” Judy started only to be cut off by Nadine.

"Officer Hopps," She said, grabbing Judy's attention by using her proper title. "It's not worth it." She said with an exasperated sigh. "Let's just get these two, and the phones back to the station." 

"Not worth it." The vixen muttered as she stood there, her arms crossed in front of her. "Is that the official ZPD position on foxes?"

"Ma'am.." Judy started only to be interrupted again. 

"I mean, even when you had one of us working with you, it didn't take you long to get rid of him, did it?"

Nadine looked at the vixen in horror before quickly looking to Judy, worried about how the bunny would react. Judy stood there, her face emotionless, but her body tense. Nadine could tell Judy was doing everything she could to not talk back to the vixen, standing so smugly in front of her. 

"Arrange for him to have a little accident?" The vixen asked, spitting venom at both officers. "Or just make life so miserable he quit?"

"That's enough," Nadine practically growled as she stepped forward aggressively towards the vixen, causing the fox to step back in fear. Turning back to Judy, Nadine could see the bunny was barely holding it together. 

With misty eyes and a blank face, it was apparent that the vixen's words were affecting the bunny. It was taking all Judy had to keep the emotions bubbling just under the surface at bay. Unsure how much more her diminutive partner could take, Nadine knew they had to get out of there. "Let's go." She commanded as Nadine shoved Sal from behind towards the front door.

Outside, Judy stood with the two suspects while Nadine went back into the house to collect the box of iCarrots. Once the phones were loaded into the trunk, Nadine walked to where Judy was and searched Geno. 

Trying to prove that Sal wasn't affecting her, Judy began to pat him down. Finding nothing, she was able to stay professional until his tail absentmindedly brushed the back of her legs. He didn't seem to notice, but she did, bringing back memories of when Nick would protectively wrap his tail around her when she was cold or scared.

Placing Sal in the car, Judy closed the car door and turned to walk to her side of the patrol car, only to be stopped by the massive paw of her partner on her shoulder. 

"Judy, wait," Nadine said as she gently pulled the bunny's shoulder, which caused Judy to face her. 

Looking up at the tiger, Judy had a sinking feeling in her stomach. There were a million things Nadine might want to talk about right now, but Judy knew that the mention of Nick's name is all Nadine would want to talk about. 

"About earlier, I wanted to talk about when you first saw Sal," Nadine said carefully. "And then with what his mother said, I was worried about you."

Answering quickly and trying to dismiss the topic, Judy said, "Yes, I called him Nick, and then his mom got to me a bit. I admit it, and it's embarrassing. Can we not talk about it?"

Nadine looked at Judy, She didn't want to say what she felt like she had to. "Judy," Nadine said, her voice slightly shaky. "Nick isn't out there hiding. He isn't missing, and you won't find him anywhere." Kneeling to look Judy in the eyes, She continued. "There is no miracle where we are going to find him still alive. Nick is gone. You saw him die. We were both at his funeral."

Annoyed and a bit hurt by her friend's words, Judy crossed her arms and frowned before looking at the tiger. "I know that. I'm not stupid. It was just a mistake. A momentary slip-up. I was just surprised to see someone who looked like Nick."

"I know, No one said you are stupid," Nadine said, choosing her words carefully. "But, if we are going to be partners, I have to know where your head is at. If you're seeing things, or if you're confused…”

"My head's fine. I'm not seeing things or confused." Judy said, her annoyance now turning to anger at the tiger. "He just looked like Nick,"

"He does, I noticed that too. But he isn't Nick. You know that, right?"

"I miss-spoke. I noticed he looked like Nick, and that was it. Now drop it!" Judy growled.

"OK," Nadine said. "Let's get these two back to the precinct. Maybe there they will be a little bit more willing to talk with us 

Nodding in agreement, Judy walked around the car and hopped into her seat, where she sat with her arms crossed, staring out the window.

"You two work everything out?" Sal asked from the back seat, snickering as he talked. "Officer Bunny buns over there looks like she's not happy."

Geno smiled. "They were probably trying to figure out which one of us is better looking. Let me settle the debate, ladies. It's me. I mean, Sal's OK, but I'm the one you want." He said, drawing a shoulder bump from his paw-cuffed brother. 

"Quiet you two," Nadine said without looking back at the two jovial foxes sitting in the back of the patrol car. "It's been a long day, and the last thing I need is to listen to the two of you yapping all the way back to the precinct." 

A smug smile on his face, Sal, couldn't keep quiet. "Yapping? Are you saying because we are canines we are yappy?" Turning to face his brother Geno, he said. "That sounds like profiling to me. Does it sound that way to you too?" Shaking his head in mock disappointment, he continued. "I expected so much better from an esteemed member of the ZPD."

"You know it does," Geno answered with a smile. "But, I think I will be willing to overlook such a transgression."

"Really?" Sal asked, playing along.

"Why, of course," Geno said dramatically. "If."

With a somehow even bigger smile, Sal asked, "If what?"

"If our dear Officer Fangmeyer, could find it in her heart to give me a kiss." 

Snickering Sal said, "You always did have a thing for a girl with stripes."

"I prefer wolves," Nadine said quietly, causing Judy to giggle even if she didn't turn away from the window. 

Geno frowned at Nadine's rejection, instead, turning his attention to Judy. "How about you, Bunny-Buns? You ever thought about going pred? You and Sal here can double date with your sexy partner and me. I saw you watching him in the house." Geno asked as he tried to catch Nadine's eye in the rearview mirror. 

The two female officers glanced at each other as they attempted to ignore the two foxes who continued to rudely joke back and forth in the back of the patrol car.

Upon reaching the station, Nadine and Judy unloaded the two Rosso brothers. They marched them into booking where they were printed and photographed. While they were being processed, Nadine and Judy went to ready the rooms for the fox's interrogations. 

While they waited in the hall for the two foxes to be processed, Nadine turned to Judy. "Hopps," She called out, grabbing Judy's attention. "Why don't you let me take this interrogation," Nadine said nonchalantly like it was no a big deal. "I know that last call was rough on you. I don't mind handling this couple of jokers. If you want to take a break."

Standing there, looking at her partner, memories of their earlier conversation flooded Judy's mind. She could feel her blood boil. "I told you, I'm fine," Judy said between clenched teeth. "I can do my job fine. I don't need you or anyone else to protect me. I am not some kit that needs to be taken care of."

Holding her paws up defensively, Nadine took a step back and then kneeled down to be closer to the height of her tiny and angry partner. "Judy I wasn't saying you couldn't, I just thought you wouldn't want to.."

Angrily, Judy stepped forward, causing Nadine to lean back and tumble backward, leaving her sitting on the floor and at Judy's height. "Why wouldn't I want to? Judy asked, not letting up. "Because I might swoon at the sight of a fox. Be so confused and love drunk that I lose control, rip his clothes off, and mount him?" Throwing her paws in the air, Judy didn't stop, continuing to advance towards her fallen partner, "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm fine. I can do my job!"

"Judy, It's just.." Nadine started to say, but Judy wasn't finished. 

"I miss Nick, OK. It isn't a secret." Judy yelled, "Do I want him back? Yes. I think about him all the time. OK?" She yelled. As Judy continued to yell, Nadine noticed tears forming in the corners of Judy's eyes. "I still want to know why he did it. Why did he lock me out? Why did he try and beat that monster alone?"

Nadine stared at the rabbit. "Judy, he saved you. You were hurt. I wasn't there, but I knew Nick well enough to guarantee you that protecting you was all he was worried about."

"It wasn't worth it." Judy cried, tears now flowing from her eyes. Slumping to her knees, Judy continued in a softer voice. "I'm not worth it."

Crawling forward carefully, Nadine reached out with one giant claw and scooped up the tiny bunny and embraced her, pulling her to her chest. 

"It's because he loved you," Wolford said, as he appeared a few feet away, having heard the entire altercation. "He was afraid to tell you. Afraid of how you would respond, and how your family would take it. But he told a few of us. Clawhouser and Delgato know too if you don't believe me."

Judy looked up from Nadine's shoulder and just stared at James Wolford. "He loved me?"

"It didn't surprise any of us that he saved you first. I just wish I could have convinced him to tell you. But he was so worried he would ruin things. That you didn't love him back." James said as he knelt down next to his mate, Nadine, and the bunny she currently held in her arms.

Holding Nadine tight, Judy buried her face into the other officer's shoulder. "I did," Judy whispered. "I still do,"

"It's OK to feel that way," Nadine said, as she held the weeping Judy.

James looked at Judy with compassion in his eyes. "He was lucky to have you."

Looking Nadine in the eye, Judy's voice was even quieter. "I don't know if I can do this alone, without him."

Placing his paw on her shoulder. James looked at Judy and said. "You aren't alone." 

-

After her outburst in the halls, an embarrassed Judy did reluctantly agree to leave the interrogation to James and Nadine. It was clear to anyone in the hallway, including Judy herself, that she was not over Nick's death. Even a year later, the wound was just as fresh and painful as the day she sat with his mother and watched them lower Nick's body into his grave.

_Maybe Bogo is right, and I can't do this anymore,_ Judy thought to herself as she lay on her bed staring at the ceiling. As her eyes traveled the room, they would pause as she saw each item that reminded her of her former partner. 

On the walls, there were pictures of the two of them, and a poster from a concert they attended. Still sitting on her desk was a pile of Nick's mail she couldn't bring herself to throw away. Her most prized memento sat on her bed. He marked a small stuffed fox and gave her as a joke so she wouldn't forget him when he was away at the Academy all of those years ago. 

As she held the plushy, she spoke to it as if she was talking to Nick. "How can I move past you?" She asked the toy before pausing as if waiting for an answer. "Maybe I really am losing it," She said as she set the toy down Judy closed her eyes for a second, before hopping out of bed on a mission. 

Grabbing a box, she collected everything that reminded her of Nick. The pictures, the mail, some tee shirts he had left at her place, even the small toy fox all went into the box. Her shoebox of an apartment was little, so it didn't take long before all traces of the fox were removed. 

Closing the box, she proudly slid it under her bed, confident she had taken a step towards getting over him. Before she had time to really sit and mull over how she felt now that Nick was scrubbed from her apartment, her phone beeped. 

Wolford was texting her, letting her know that the interrogation didn't go well. The only thing either fox gave up was one of the gang's nicknames, The Glee Club. A name so ridiculous that at first Nadine was sure it was a joke. 

Judy smiled. This was precisely what she needed. A chance to prove, she could still be a cop. Grabbing her badge, Judy rushed from her apartment on her way back to Precinct One. If she was lucky, she had an idea that could help their case and just maybe make up for how she embarrassed herself earlier. 

It was getting late in the holding cells of Precinct One. The lights had already been turned down for the night, and the lack of other inmates left the cell block eerily quiet for its lone inhabitant. Laying on his back, Sal struggled to get comfortable on the thin and lumpy mattress provided by the Zootopia Board of Correction. 

The sudden loud scraping sound of the substantial steel cell block door opening caused Sal to sit up from his bed and look around. He couldn't see the door from his cell, so he listened. It was faint, but Sal could just barely make out what he thought were footsteps. He didn't hear paw-pads, but he swore he could hear claws scraping the cement floor and making their way towards his cell. 

"Who's there?" Sal called out, unnerved a bit by the sounds disturbing the previous quiet. 

"Sal Rosso?" He heard his name called by a female voice that seemed to be looking for him. 

"Over here," Sal answered, not sure exactly what was going on, or why he was telling the mystery voice where he was. Still, curiosity had got the better of him. He continued to listen as the steps got closer until a small grey mammal came into view. When she removed her hood, it became instantly apparent she was a bunny, the officer who arrested him earlier. 

Sal smiled. "Officer Bunny-buns, Miss me so much you needed to visit me during your time off?"

Judy looked at the fox and smiled. It was the type of thing Nick would say even if this fox's voice was rougher, like if Nick had a bad smoking habit. "Miss might be a strong word, and it's Officer Hopps."

"Well, what would you call it when a bunny, such as yourself, comes into a place like this?" Sal asked smugly as he gestured to the jail around him. "Especially when she is off the clock and visits a fox such as myself?" Sal asked smugly.

"How do you know I'm off the clock?"

Sal smiles and crosses his arms. "First of all, you arrested me this morning. So Unless you are working 13-hour shifts, you would be off for the day. Second of all, you're wearing jeans and a hoodie. In my minimal dealings with members of the ZPD, you guys seem to really like your uniforms. So, I concluded you're off the clock."

"Can't get anything past you. You know you might actually make a pretty good cop." Judy said with a smirk 

"How dare you." Sal retorted as he sat back down on his bed and leaned back against the wall. "So tell me, Officer Hopps. Why are you here? I don't know anything more than what I told your partner earlier today.

An exaggerated frown appeared on Judy's face. "That's too bad. If you had some other information, we could probably get a deal worked out for you. Maybe even get the DA to look the other way on all those phones we found at your mother's house."

The sudden sound of Sal's throaty laugh caused Judy to jump. "You really think there is a chance, any DA in this city would take a fox's word and let them out with a warning. Come on, officer, let's be realistic."

"I do," Judy protested. "This city has come a long way."

Sitting back on his bed, Sal looked at Judy, studying her as a smirk spread across his face. "Maybe," He said, humoring her. "it's just too bad I have nothing else to tell."

"That is a shame," Judy said, "So what do you suggest we talk about instead??"

Sal stopped and looked at the bunny, standing on the other side of the bars. He had expected her to leave when he didn't have any new information. But instead there she stood, seemingly interested in talking to him.

"Why do you want to talk to me?" He asked, suspicious of her motives. "Hoping I give something up while I tell you about how the weather is great outside?"

"Just can't fool you, can I?" Judy asked with a slight smile. 

Sal smiled. "Sorry, Fluff. Not going to happen,"

Judy paused, a slight smile crossing her face.

"Something funny, Officer?" Sal asked, a bit unnerved by the slight smile Judy wore.

Looking at the ground before looking back at Sal, Judy answered honestly. "Just a happy memory. You remind me of someone."

"Friends with a lot of devilishly handsome foxes?" Sal asked smugly as he chuckled to himself. 

A slight smile crossed Judy's face. "There was one. My former partner." She said as she sat down on the floor, her back pressed against the wall opposite Sal's cell. 

"They put a fox with a bunny?! Wow, sounds like a bad sitcom." Sal joked, making himself laugh again.

Judy smiled as she thought about her time with Nick as her partner. "We made a good team. He was the first fox on the force, you know."

"I heard about that," Sal said. "I don't remember his name, but he is pretty unpopular with some folks down in Happytown."

"Hanging out with a lot of mammals that don't like cops?" Judy asked, tellingly. 

Sal smiled. "Nice try. Officer Fluffbutt."

Judy chuckled to herself. "Can't blame a girl for trying."

"I _heard_ some mammals resented it when he went straight. They got tired of being asked why he was able to pull himself out when the rest of us were stuck where we were."

Another smile settled on Judy's face as memories of Nick again flooded her mind. Looking at the bunny, Sal was confused. 

"Officer is it possible," Sal asked, his curiosity piqued. "That you and this fox were more than just co-workers."

"He was my best friend." She said quietly as she looked back to the floor. I really miss him." She said as she pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them to her body.

Confused, Sal raised an eyebrow." What did he transfer? Wait, is he undercover in one of those no good, gangs you were asking this innocent fox about earlier?"

"He's gone," Judy said quietly. 

"He quit? They drove him away, didn't they?" Should have known they wouldn't let a fox stay on the ZP…” Sal trailed off as he looked back at Judy. Her smile was gone. She had arms crossed on top of her legs, and her face buried in her arms. It was hard to hear, but in the extreme quiet of the cellblock, he could just make out the sound of her crying. He wasn't sure why he cared, but Sal asked, "Officer Hopps, You OK?"

Judy looked Sal in the eyes. "He didn't quit. He died. While we were on duty."

Sal's sat in his cell with his mouth hanging open, shocked at Judy's admission. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize it." He said, his voice heavy with guilt. "I wouldn't have joked about it if I would have known." 

"We were attacked, and I was hurt, and he protected me. He got me to safety, but he still fought them. I couldn't do anything. I could only stand there and watch them hurt him." Judy cried. "By the time I was able to get back to him, he wasn't moving. He was gone."

Sal sat on the edge of his cot glued to Judy's story. He couldn't tell why, but his heart was breaking. He wanted so badly to reach out and console the doe who sat crying quietly only a few feet away. 

"Later, I sat there with his mother, holding her paw and pretending that every time I looked at the coffin, I didn't hear him cry out in pain or see the grimace on his face he lay there. I held her paw and never had the guts to tell her it was my fault. He died because he was protecting me."

For a few minutes, Sal was quiet as he watched Judy sit there crying silently, the damp tears leaving streaks in her fur. 

"I'm sorry," Sal said again, as he tried to fill the silence with words even if he knew they didn't carry much weight with a mammal he had just met. But he had to do something for the poor doe sitting across from him. All he could do was smile when she looked up, hoping it would comfort her slightly.

"You are a lot like him," Judy said. "For a few minutes, it was like having him back. Thank you for that."

Sal sat there, wide-eyed and speechless. "um, you're welcome?" Sal said, unsure of how to respond. 

Judy smiled slightly as she pulled herself to her feet. "It was nice talking to you, Sal." She said as she wiped her eyes hurried back down the hallway towards the door, leaving Sal alone in his cell. 

Sal sat there for a second, confused by Judy's sudden exit. Laying back down on his bed, Sal reflected on the odd conversation he had just had. "Goodnight, Officer Hopps," He said, before rolling over and trying to fall asleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Always curious what you think? Let me know how the story is progressing, and feel free to ask anything.
> 
> And yes I know you want to know what happened to Nick. We will get to that soon.


	5. Getting to Know You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Questions arise about Judy's new fox friend. While another fox reminds others that he isn't someone you want to disappoint.

"Come on, Carrots," an excited Nick said as he waved Judy along with his paw.

Judy could feel herself smile as she chased the swimsuit-clad fox down the beach. She couldn't remember why they were there, but she didn't care. It was warm, the sun was shining and most of all she was with her fox. Nothing else mattered.

Stumbling, She fell to the sand. Looking up, Judy saw Nick jogging in place while he laughed at her tumbles. "Oh no, poor bunny can't keep up with the dashing fox, what will she do?" Nick said as he jogged away backward while taunted her.

A devious smile spread across Judy's face as she sprinted to her feet and left at the fox as he mocked her playfully. Not prepared for the sudden attack, Nick wasn't able to do anything as Judy, gleefully grabbed his fur, and with her momentum, sent both of them to the sand. Judy giggled as they tumbled. They finally rolled to a stop, with him on his back and her on top of him.

"Oh no, Did the poor SLOW fox get caught?" She asked sarcastically with a smile.

Feigning peril, Nick places one of his arms on his forehead. "Oh, whatever am I to do? Cut down in my prime by this fearsome ball of Fluff."

Judy smiled, "Your fearsome ball of fluff." She said as she grabbed his muzzle, looked into his eyes for a second before closing her eyes, leaning forward and touching her lips to his. Breaking the kiss, she smiled as he pulled her tightly against him, allowing her to settle her face into the crook of his neck.

"I love you," He said plainly like it was the most unremarkable thing in the world.

"I love you too," Judy said from her comfortable spot on the fox. Happily, Judy took a deep breath inhaling the fox's scent. But something was wrong. Instead of the oaky, musky scent of the fox she loved, Judy was met with something different. Something harsher, more akin to a skunk's spray.

Sitting up on Nick, Judy looked around to see what was wrong. Looking at Nick, Judy was horrified to see Nick gone, and in his place was a smirking Sal looking up at her happily.

"If I knew this was how you treated your captives, maybe I would have gotten arrested sooner," He said in a cocky and mocking tone.

Shocked at the sudden change, Judy tried to push him away, but his secure grip held on to her. Tighter, he squeezed as he laughed at her panic. "Come on, Officer Fluff, isn't this what you want?" He said with a knowing chuckle.

Judy closed her eyes as she struggled to read the fox's grip. "Let go of me!" She yelled as she summoned all of her strength to push the offending fox away.

Pushing with all of her might, Judy was surprised by the sudden lack of resistance. Opening her eyes, she looked around her bedroom, confused at the sudden change in location. Slowly, as the sleep dissipated from her mind, Judy realized she was alone. She was in her bedroom, not on a beach, and thankfully, Sal was nowhere to be seen.

Taking a few deep breaths, the bunny tried to calm herself down. In the year since Nick passed, it wasn't uncommon for Judy to dream of Nick. Some dreams were happy. The two of them together again, as friends or more. But too many were nightmares. Haunted by the ghost of her former partner, forcing her to relive his death and the feeling of helplessness as she felt as she watched him sleep away, again and again, every night.

But lately, things had changed. A third entrant, Sal had been part of her dreams. He would appear in the middle of some happy moment, replacing Nick. The substitute for would then mock and taunt her as if he knew something that she didn't.

A clamor but still rattled Judy laid down in her bed. Next to her sat her fox plushie. The same one she had tried to rid her self of the day before. Pulling to her chest, she held it close, desperate for the modicum of comfort it provided. It wasn't the real thing, but at least it was something.

Looking across her tiny apartment, Judy saw the overturned box she had put Nick's things in the previous day. Items were strewn about, tossed aside in her haste the night before to find her plushie. "Pretty pathetic Judy," She said to herself, as she lay there, cuddling with the faux fox.

Sitting up in bed, she sat the fox next to her. She was determined to be tougher. Today was going to be a hard day, and she needed to be strong. She had today off. Being around the ZPD without Nick had been trying for Judy. But it didn't hold a candle to her days alone. Before it happened, she would be excited. Ready to start her day and meet up with the fox for whatever the two had planned, even if that plan was nothing more than sitting and watching tv on his couch.

But now days away only served to remind her she was alone. She looked to the plushie that only moments ago had provided comfort, but now seemed to taunt her with its sly smirk reminiscent of her fox's. Reaching for the toy, she grabbed it and yelling in aggravation, flung it across the room, hit the wall, and fell to the floor.

"HEY, BUNNY! STOP MAKING SO MUCH NOISE," The voice on the other side of the wall yelled in response.

"BE NICE TO HER! SHE'S HAVING A ROUGH TIME," A second voice answered the first.

"DOESN'T MEAN SHE CAN BE LOUD!" The first voice said again.

"YOU ARE THE ONE YELLING!"

"SO ARE YOU!"

"SHUT UP!"

"YOU SHUT UP,"

Not in the mood to deal with her nosey, annoying neighbors Judy quickly hopped out of bed and slipped into a pair of tight running pants, a sports bra, and a tee-shirt. Grabbing her keys, she hurried to the door of her apartment, opened it, but paused.

There, next to the door on the floor, sat her fox plushie. Bending down, she gently picked it up and brushed off a bit of dust from the floor. Silently she carried the toy back to her bed, where she gently laid it down before wordlessly leaving her apartment.

-

In Happytown,

"Why do you feel the need to lie to me, Mark?" Any annoyed Anthony Moratti asked as he paced in front of the bound Mark Stafford, a bobcat, and a junior member of the ZPD IT team.

"I didn't!" Mark answered in a panic, his eyes following the white fox, and he paced.

Struggling against the restraints that held him in his chair, Mark was scared. A couple of other foxes had already interrogated him. They asked him all the same questions as Anthony was asking now. They even worked him over pretty good, breaking one of his teeth and leaving both of his eyes so swollen he could barely see.

But this fox, he was different. He was terrifying. Mark had heard stories of the white fox. Mostly whispers and rumors, the fox's reputation for brutality and his ability to shake his victims to the core seemed excessive. For a long time, Mark wondered if he was even real or just a mysterious boogieman used to keep the Skulk's enemies at bay.

But now that myth of a fox paced only a few feet away from Mark. Looking upon his white fur and black claws, Mark wondered if maybe the rumors hadn't said enough.

Taking a deep breath, Anthony closed his eyes and stood silently before asking, with a bit of annoyance in his voice, "Let's start from the beginning. How did this happen?"

Stammering for something to say, anything that might get him out of his current predicament alive, Mark said. "I don't know how the ZPD got their names. I have been keeping everyone out of the system, just like I was told to! I didn't even know they were being investigated until Hopps and Fangmeyer brought them in for booking."

A low growl escaped Anthony's throat, his anger rising at the mention of her name. Taking another deep breath to calm himself, he returned to talking to Mark.

"You see, that is part of the problem. I pay you very well to know these types of things. But we had no warning before two members of our Skulk were arrested. Then I come to find out the ZPD knew their names, their addresses, AND their connections to us." Turning to face Mark, the fox looked at him, concerned. "Do you see Mark? Do you see how this puts me in a bit of a predicament?"

Mark's eyes jumped from the fox, addressing him, to the other fox's in the room, observing the interrogation. Looking to each, Mark stared into their eyes, his own eyes pleading for help, for someone to step in on his behalf.

Approaching the bobcat, Anthony placed one paw on the smaller cat's thigh. "There was nothing you could have done?" Anthony asked as he began to apply pressure. It didn't take much before the thin material of Mark's pants ripped, and Anthony's claws began to tear into the tender flesh of Mark's leg.

Anthony smiled as he continued, enjoying the pain he was causing the smaller cat. Slowly closing his paw, digging each claw in deeper, feeling the skin and muscle of Mark's leg give way to his sharp claws.

"I didn't know! I'm sorry! I'll do better!" Mark practically screamed out in hopes of stopping the pain as he felt the fox's claws plunge deeper into his leg.

Pulling his claws from the bobcat's now bleeding leg, Anthony looked at his paw and the red liquid as it soaked into his fur.

Behind him, Mark was begging, "please, I'm sorry," He said weakly. "I'll do better…"

With his back turned, Anthony removed his dress shirt carefully to avoid getting any of the bobcat's blood on it. "What else do they know?" The fox calmly asked as he folded the shirt and put it in a safe place.

"Only your name," Mark said in a pained, exhausted whine. "But the reds didn't talk. They didn't even confirm they knew you." Mark offered, hoping the bit of information about the interrogation might save him.

Turning around again, his eyes wide with rage, Anthony stormed back to Mark, grabbing the bobcat by his neck and lifting him off his chair. Held aloft from his neck, Mark struggled to breathe as the chair hung from the bindings on Mark's wrists.

"Please!" Mark managed to choke out as he struggled to draw a breath.

Anthony held Mark aloft, his entire body shaking in anger. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he dropped the bobcat to the ground where he landed back in his chair with a thud.

Gasping for air, Mark began to thank Anthony, grateful for his mercy. But that mercy was short-lived. Reaching back, Anthony slashed at the bound bobcat, raking his claws across Mark's chest. Striking again and again, Anthony continued to slash, tearing flesh from bone.

Mark tried to scream. To somehow vocalize the horror he was experiencing, but a slice of Anthony's claw across Mark's neck opened his windpipe and jugular rendering the bobcat only able to gurgle as the life slipped from his body. It was only a few seconds later that Mark was gone, his head drooping to his chest. But Anthony didn't stop. He continued to slash, eviscerating the body that used to be Mark.

When Anthony finally stopped, he stood out of breath, his white fur now stained red. The display of savagery lasted for less than a minute but sent a very clear message to those who witnessed the barbaric attack. Failure would not be accepted, and Anthony was not a fox to messed with.

It was a few minutes later; a calmer Anthony walked away from what remained of Mark. Some of the witnesses stood silent shocked at the carnage they had just witnessed. Others, those with stronger stomachs, moved to clean up the mess.

A short distance away in a nearby bathroom, Anthony stood staring at himself in the mirror, a smile on his face as he ran his claws through the blood-soaked fur on his chest.

"You ok, boss?" Jordy, a smaller fennec fox, asked as he approached the blood-covered leader.

Anthony's smile only grew. "Just remembering what it was like to be red."

-

A few days later, A tired Bogo was sitting in his office.

"Bogo," the buffalo answered, not happy about being interrupted from his work.

"It's Grizzoli. I'm down in holding and, well, she's here again. I know you wanted to know."

"Thanks," Bogo said with a sigh, before hanging up the phone. Taking off his glasses, Bogo placed them on his desk in front of himself. Closing his eyes, he rubbed them and sighed. He was worried that this was a sign of something bad.

Pushing a button on his phone, Bogo connected to his front desk officer. "Clawhauser," Bogo said, snapping his portly front desk mammal to attention. "Get Fangmeyer in my office now. I need to talk with her.

-

In a different part of Precinct One, Judy was sitting outside of Sal's cell, a small smile on her face. Despite her nightmares, she enjoyed talking with the fox. Like Nick, he seemed to be more than what he appeared to be on the outside, and Judy liked peeling away the layers. Plus, he reminded her of Nick, which made their talks comforting.

"Sal, can I ask you something, kind of personal?" Judy asked carefully, not wanting to offend her captive companion.

Sal smiled, "Boxers, I like the extra space," he said with a slight chuckle causing Judy to hide behind her ears as they turned bright red. "Or is there something else you wanted to know?" He said with a smile as he sat on his bed, enjoying watching the bunny try and hide her embarrassment. Sal laughed

"No, I mean yes, yes, there is something else I wanted to know why? You're a pretty sharp guy. Why do you do this?"

Sal smirked. "Well, Officer Fluff. I don't have much of a choice. You arrested me after all, and no matter how nicely I ask, they just won't let me out."

Judy rolled her eyes at Sal's flippant remark. "I mean, why not get a regular job? Instead of doing all of that, other stuff."

Sal leaned back against the wall, chasing his words carefully. "I'm not sure what you are referring to OFFICER," he said, emphasizing her proper title. "I haven't done anything," He said with a knowing smile.

Rolling her eyes, Judy rephrased her question. "Why not go off and do your own thing?"

Sal took a deep breath before slowly letting it out. "It's not that simple. It isn't easy being a fox from Happytown. Opportunity isn't exactly knocking down our doors."

"That sounds like an excuse," Judy said, not letting him off easy.

Shaking his head, Sal's smile disappeared. "Let me tell you a story. A while ago, I got hurt pretty bad. I don't remember it, but according to Geno, I stepped in to help a friend who was being beaten up."

A concerted look crossed Judy's face that made Sal smile. "Don't worry. I'm better now."

Crossing her arms, an annoyed, and little bit embarrassed, Judy looked back at Sal.

"I was in bad shape. Ma couldn't afford the medical bills. It isn't like we had insurance. In Zootopia, you have to have a good job to have insurance. Makes a lot of sense, right? You need to have money to get help paying medical bills."

Laughing to himself, as he saw the concern on the bunny's face, Sal continued. "That's where the other fox's come in. They gave Ma money and food. They kept us off the street. They paid for my treatment and kept a roof over her head."

"That's great," Judy said enthusiastically.

Holding up a paw, Sal said, "Hold on there officer. Before you get too excited, that money was probably not acquired by means you would approve of. But they took care of us. It's why I can't turn my back on those same mammals now. That's Happytown's little secret. There is a lot of bad going on down there. But some of that bad pays for the good the rest of Zootopia doesn't care about. We might not be related. Or even the same species all the time. But in Happytown, we are family."

Judy sat there for a second staring at Sal, unsure of what to say. Part of her loved the Robin Hood part of Sal's story. But this wasn't an old story, and she couldn't get over the fact that the money was obtained illegally.

Seeing her inner turmoil, Sal spoke to fill the silence. "It's why when your brother needs help, you give it." Sal looked down and away from Judy. "Even when that need might be less than legal."

Finally finding her voice, Judy looked at Sal. "What if there was another way? If we could get crime down, maybe we could get business to come in. It would bring jobs and…"

Cutting her off, Sal shook his head and smiled. "If only it were that easy miss bunny."

"But isn't it worth working towards? It' a better goal than seeing who can sell more huff on the corner."

Sal looked at her, a half-smile on his muzzle. What she was asking was a considerable undertaking, but for some reason, coming from her, it felt possible.

"I'm not naive enough to think it would be quick or easy, but it's possible," Judy said, still arguing her point. "You just need a few mammals to get the ball rolling."

Sal's smile widened as he looked at the bunny. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and even though what she was asking was a huge undertaking, for the first time, Sal felt that just maybe, it was possible.

"Sal?" Judy questioned, bringing the fox out of his thoughts.

Looking at Judy, his smile changed. It wasn't mocking or slick. It was genuine. "I think I would like that," He said as he stared at the optimistic rabbit. "I want to be part of that."

-

Elsewhere in Precinct One, a knock on the Chief's office door broke Bogo's concentration. Carefully opening the door, Nadine Fangmeyer peaked her head into his office. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

Putting down the paper's, he was looking at the Chief of police sighed. He wasn't looking forward to this conversation or where he was afraid it was headed. "Close the door, Officer," He said in a somber tone.

Doing as instructed, Nadine entered the office and closed the door behind her. Taking a seat across from Bogo, the tigress sat uncomfortably. "This is about Hopps, isn't it?" She asked nervously before the buffalo had a chance to say anything.

Taking a deep breath, he nodded his head. "Unfortunately," He said. "I'm concerned, this is the third time she has visited that suspect. I'm starting to worry about," Bogo paused as he searched for the right word. "the professionalism of her visits." He said carefully.

Not hesitating to come to her partner's defense, Nadine responded strongly. "Sir, Hopps is a professional. She would never do anything that.."

Holding up a hoof, Bogo quieted the tiger. "I am not saying she is doing anything lewd or illegal. I am worried about her. If she is trying to get information by befriending him or breaking down his resolve fine, but if this is personal…" Bogo trailed off, his discomfort with the subject showing.

"Personal, Sir? Nadine asked, not quite sure what the buffalo was hinting at.

For a few minutes, Bogo didn't say anything, just sitting at his desk, looking at the tiger sitting across from him. Hoping she would get it, and he wouldn't have to explain. But either she didn't or wasn't willing to offer up the information to the grumpy mammal across from her. "I think she is befriending this fox to replace Wilde."

"Is that so bad?" Nadine asked. "If it is helping her deal with her feelings?"

Bogo frowned. "It's not right. It's not healthy. He's a criminal. One she arrested. Now she's friends with him?"

"So was Wilde," Nadine pointed out.

Bogo huffed. "Wilde was different."

"Sir, you think this fox is trying to take advantage of Hopps? Use her feeling for Nick to manipulate her?" Nadine asked an eyebrow raised as she watched her superior.

"I don't know what I think," Bogo said.

Nadine leaned forward in his chair. "You know, Sir, not all foxes are manipulative and shifty. Wilde proved that. He was a great officer."

"Wilde was different…" Bogo stared at the tiger as she sat, waiting for his response. Memories of how he misjudged his first fox Officer ran through his mind as the guilt of that bad decision weighed on him. He hesitated, looking down in shame before continuing. "I was wrong about Wilde, about all foxes," Bogo said to Nadine's surprise. She wasn't used to seeing any sort of weakness coming from her commanding officer. "If I'm honest, I'm scared to death of making that mistake again. But that doesn't change the fact that I have an emotionally vulnerable officer in there with a suspected criminal that has every motivation to take advantage of those vulnerabilities."

"Sir Hopps isn't stupid. She won't be taken advantage of," Nadine said, still defending the bunny.

Bogo was frustrated as he sat there, trying to articulate his thoughts to Nadine as she sat across from him. "I'm not saying she isn't, but I don't want her getting hurt, not again. Not because I wasn't doing my job."

Leaning back in her chair, Nadine watched as Bogo collected himself. For a moment, she was confused. But it then dawned on her what he was referring to. Looking at Bogo, Nadine could see the shame and regret on the old Chief's face. "It wasn't your fault, sir." She said quietly to the buffalo.

"My precinct. My orders. My fault." Bogo said without making eye contact. "I decided to send them in alone. When they called it in, I am the one who sent them in alone. I miss-judged the situation, and it cost Wilde his life."

Nadine's heart went out to the buffalo sitting on the other side of the desk. "No one expected what happened to happen. We all thought it was just a false alarm or some kids. Wilde and Hopps didn't even call in for back up until they were already there on the scene and had made contact with the perpetrators."

"That may be so, but it doesn't change anything, does it?" Bogo said, the guilt heavy in his voice. "I'm not about to let another officer get hurt because I'm too busy to pay attention."

Nadine watched Bogo as he struggled to keep himself composed. She knew the Chief cared more than he let on, but she never realized how personal it was for him. "Sir, it isn't your fault,"

"Go tell that to Wilde's tombstone," Bogo said as he took a deep breath closing his eyes. "See if it makes a difference." Bogo paused as he once again tried to gather himself and restore his stoic persona. "Just watch her," He said. "Don't let her get hurt, and If she seems unable to perform her duties, tell me."

"I will," Nadine said. Then with more compassion in her voice than Bogo felt he deserved Nadine repeated. "It wasn't your fault, sir."

Bogo looked at his desk before answering in a downtrodden voice. "It might not be my fault. But it was still my responsibility. I failed them. There is nothing more to it than that."

Nodding Nadine rose from her chair. The tiger walked towards the door when she was summoned back by the Chief.

"And Fangmeyer?"

Nadine turned and looked at Bogo. "Yes, Sir?"

"Tell Wolford to make it official. I'm getting tired of pretending I don't know about you two."

Nadine's face turned bright red; thankfully, her orange fur hit her embarrassment. "Um, Yes, Sir," She said as she hurried out of the office.

Down in holding, Sal was sitting in his cell, feeling pretty good. Judy had just left, and even though he was incarcerated, he couldn't help but feel better after spending time talking with and getting to know the bubbly bunny. Hearing the door to the cell block open, Sal smiled. It was too early for his dinner, so he assumed it must mean Judy is coming back for something she forgot.

"Miss me already, Officer Fluff?" He called out playfully, mocking the approaching mammal.

As the mammal turned the corner, Sal's ears flattened against his head. It wasn't Judy.

"There are a lot of things that could adequacy explain my feelings toward you, Mr. Rosso. But missing you isn't one of them." Chief Bogo said as he stood in front of Sal's cell, towering over the smaller fox. 

For a second, Sal stayed quiet, a bit intimidated by the massive mammal standing there. But soon enough, his smirk returned, and so did his sarcasm. "So what can I do for you, Chief? As you can see, I was just getting ready to leave, so please make it quick."

An unamused Bogo's stared at the fox. "What are your intentions with Officer Hopps?" Bogo asked.

Frowning, Sal looked at Bogo before a smirk overtook his face. "Well, after the prom, I was planning on bringing her right home, but if you want, I can make real women out of her," Sal said with a laugh.

Bogo's eyes narrowed. "Listen, fox. I don't know what you're playing at.." But Bogo wasn't allowed to finish before Sal interrupted. 

Sal's smirk turned into a frown. "Your right Chief. Us foxes always have some type of scam. It could never be that she was just keeping me company in here."

"No. Not foxes you." Bogo said, his anger rising. "I made that mistake once, never again. I let my eyes be clouded by his being a fox, and that fox turned out to be one of the best cops I ever had. If you half the character, he did.."

Again not letting Bogo finish, Sal butted in. "I know. I know. He's a credit to our species. If only the rest of us could be so good."

"You can," Bogo said, surprising Sal for a second time. "The only difference between Officer Wilde and you was, He wasn't willing to settle for what society wanted him to be. At every step of his career, he faced adversity. He put up with things no-one should have to." Bogo paused for second before continuing, his voice heavy from guilt. "Even from me. But he pushed through it."

For the first time in a long time, Sal was at a loss for words. "Chief, I…" But Bogo didn't wait.

"I don't know why Hopps has taken an interest in you. But I want you to know that if you abuse that interest if you hurt her. "Bogo paused, causing Sal to lean forward towards the bars. Reaching between the bars and grabbing the front of the fox's shirt, Bogo lifted Sal into the air, so they were now face to face. "I will make it my life's goal to see you locked away in a cell for the rest of your miserable life."

With his final word, Bogo set the fox back on his hind paws and turned on his heels to walk out of the cellblock. Calling after him, an angry and a little shaken Sal said, "Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty?"

Not turning around, Bogo answered. "Whatever happened to not storing the evidence in your living room?"

The next thing Sal heard was the heavy door of the cell block slamming shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's Anthony going to do now that the ZPD know about his? Is Sal being honest with Judy? Who knew Bogo had a heart? Will James make it to moring in one piece?
> 
> As always please review, let me know what you liked and what you didn't. I love to hear what you pick out of the story or your theories


	6. The Hero of Happytown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We see another side of Anthony, while Judy admits everything might not be what it seems with Sal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took too long to finish this one so it's going out without a beta reader. Keep your fingers crossed I didn't miss anything.

It was a quiet morning in Happytown. Ma Rosso was sitting in her living room with a cup of tea. A few feet away, an old TV showed the local news, but Ma didn't really pay attention. Her mind was focused on what was missing. It had been two weeks since Geno and Sal were taken from her home in paw cuffs, and she missed her boys.

Next to Ma, sat a small coffee table upon which sat a pile of bills. Without the boys bringing in any money, Ma was uncertain how she would be able to pay them when they came due this month. Her meager income was barely enough to cover the rent. She had no idea how she would cover the others.

A sudden knock at the door pulled Ma from her thoughts and caused her to rise from her place on the living room couch. Hesitantly, she walked to the door, afraid of who might be there. It had been two weeks since a random visit by two police officers removed Geno and Sal from her home. Since then, the old Vixen had grown more and more suspicious of anyone knocking at her door. She had been tricked once, and it wasn't going to happen again.

"Who is it?" Ma barked, hoping whoever it was would take the hint and leave.

From the other side of the door, a fox with snow-white fur had to suppress a smile. He could hear the worry in the old Vixen's voice even as she tried to sound harsh. It was an act he was familiar with, one that was repeated at almost every home he visited. "Ma, it's me, Anthony," He said in a friendly tone, one his lieutenant's virtually never heard.

Carefully, Ma opens the door a crack allowing her to look out and see who was there. On her front porch, she saw three foxes, a red fox, a fennec fox, and a large fox with a wicked smile and white fur. "Anthony?" Ma said a bit of worry in her voice. "Is something wrong? Come in all of you," She said as she looked down the street to see if there was any sign of danger.

Smiling, Anthony and his two lieutenants, entered the house and stood in front of the old Vixen. Extending his arms, he reached for Ma, grasping her and pulled her into a hug. "It's good to see you, Ma," Anthony said as embraced the older fox.

Ma smiled as she returned the hug. "It's good to see you too." But her smile was short-lived as she held the white fox. "You feel so thin! Are you eating? Let me go get you something. I don't have much, but…" Ma said in a worried voice. Breaking the hug, Ma started to turn to head towards the kitchen, but Anthony stopped her. 

"I'm fine," Anthony said, brushing aside the Vixen's worries with a friendly smile. "You don't need to worry about me, I'm here to check on you. Speaking of which…" Anthony turned and signaled to the to foxes he had brought with him, standing not far away. Both stepped past Ma, and Anthony headed to the kitchen. In their paws were bags of groceries.

A shocked look crossed Ma's face as she saw the food being delivered to her. "Anthony, I, I can't pay for this. With the boys gone, I don't have the money…"

Holding up his paws, Anthony waved the idea away. "No charge. I just want to make sure you have enough."

"Thank you," Ma said, a slight hint of embarrassment in her voice from having to accept the charity.

Leading Ma into the house, the two sat in the living room. Once again, Ma tried to get up and run to the kitchen. This time to get Anthony a cup of tea, but once again, he declined. "Are you sure?" Ma asked. "It was so kind of you to bring the groceries. I have no real way to thank you."

Reaching for the Vixen's paw, Anthony took it and held her paw between his. "Ma, how many times did you patch me up when I got hurt playing ball? How many times did you feed me when My mother and I didn't have enough? You don't owe me. No one in the family owes me. I have the means to take care of you, and that is what I do."

"Bless you, Anthony," Ma said as she looked away, still embarrassed by the younger tod's generosity. With Ma distracted, Anthony noticed the pile of bills sitting on the nearby coffee table. Picking them up, he signaled to Jordy a fennec fox and one of Anthony's lieutenants. Without saying a word, Jordy took the bills and placed them in his jacket pocket. Anthony didn't need to say anything more. The bills would be paid that afternoon.

Looking back at Anthony, Ma gave him a pained smile. She was trying to hide the distress, but Anthony was too used to looking past the masks foxes wore to conceal their emotions. "Ma, is everything else, ok?" Anthony asked, showing genuine concern. "Is there anything else that you need right now? Medicine or money?" Anthony asked as he started to pull his wallet from his jacket pocket.

"I'm ok." Ma said, quick to dismiss the offer of more charity. "I'm just worried about the boys is all. It's been almost two weeks, and I haven't heard a thing." She said, as she sat on the old couch, "I just want to know they are ok."

Anthony felt a twinge of guilt spread through him. "Listen. Ma, the phones, Geno and Sal, they grabbed those for me."

"Oh, Anthony," the Vixen said, shaking her head. "You know better."

Anthony felt another wave of guilt wash over him as he saw the disappointed look on the older Vixen's face. "We need the money. There are a lot of mammals that need help." He said in his own defense. "The Skulk doesn't let their family down."

"Anthony, what you do, all of the mammals you help," Ma paused as she searched for the right words. "It's a great thing. You're a good boy. I know how much you care for all of us. But there has to be a way to help without being a criminal."

Looking towards the ground, Anthony felt like a kit being reprimanded for being caught with his paw in the cookie jar. "I want to find another way, I really do. But it isn't out there for us fox's." Anthony said. "I've tried, we've all tried. But each one of us has been shut down, not even given a chance. Everyone assumes we are crooks. Shifty lowlifes who are just looking to steal and swindle. Just because we are foxes."

Closing her eyes, Ma nodded, understanding all too well what Anthony was saying. But she wasn't about to give up on the tod. Not yet. "So stop giving them a reason to think that way Stop being the stereotype." She argued

"Ma, It isn't that easy." Anthony protested in his defense.

"But it is." Ma said. "I've seen it done. There was a fox on ZPD. I couldn't believe it when I saw that. One of us with a badge. If he found way out of Happytown surly, you could too."

A new emotion rolled over Anthony. Not guilt this time. But anger, jealousy, and hate. "And how did that turn out?" He asked a bit of venom in his voice. "What difference did he make?" Anthony stood from his chair as he struggled to control the anger. "He didn't come back and help. Going to a few schools? Waving from his squad car? That's nice. I'm sure the kits like it, but it doesn't help. Then after he was done smiling for the cameras, he arrested us. Took his own kind to jail. Just like every other cop out there."

Frowning, Ma stood from the couch. "Don't you take that tone with me, Anthony. I might not be your mother, but that doesn't mean I will be talked to like that by some tod half my age!" She said sternly. "I was proud of what that fox accomplished. He might not be perfect, but he was a hero to a ton of kits around here.

"That fox is no hero. While he was smirking for the cameras, I was here taking care of the family. He forgot about where he came from. He was too busy being a hero on TV to help anyone. He deserved what he got and worse."

Ma frowned, as she asked, "What he got?"

Still raging, Anthony told her. "You don't know what happened to him? The Hero of Happytown? He's dead, Ma. They sent him in alone to deal with a crime, and he got killed for it. He wasn't worth the backup."

Ma paused. "He's dead? Oh, that so sad." Sitting back on the couch, she looked away, lost in her thoughts.

"Don't mourn for him," Anthony said, practically spitting out the sentence. "That fraud doesn't deserve it. He didn't change anything, didn't break down any walls that made it easier for other foxes to be accepted. He was a joke. A PR stunt that didn't realize it until he lay dying alone on the floor."

Shaking her head, Ma looked at Anthony and placed a paw on his shoulder, attempting to calm the white fox... "You shouldn't speak ill of the dead, Anthony. It's disrespectful. He was still a fox, still one of your brothers."

Anthony's stared at Ma, pure hate in his eyes, causing the Vixen to step back in fear. "That fox stopped being part of my family the moment he left us to put on that badge. I may be a criminal, but I never stopped doing my part for the foxes of Happytown." Pulling away from Ma, Anthony stomped angrily towards the door but paused halfway there. He didn't turn back but said, "I want you to know. I will get your boys out. I promise you that. But I'm doing it my way."

"Anthony, it isn't worth you ending up in there too," Ma said, pleading with Anthony. She slowly sat back down on the couch. "I worry about you."

"You don't have to worry about me," Anthony said as a wicked smile slowly crept across his face. It's the cops who should be worried about me."

-

It was a hot day in Savanah Central. Something that wasn't too surprising based on the dessert setting of that part of the city. Mammals were going about their daily activities, not paying any attention to the air-conditioned patrol. Parked on the corner, it sat sitting quietly as the two mammals inside watched the populous.

Inside of the car, Judy and Nadine were talking about the fact that Nadine's secret workplace romance with a fellow member of the ZPD, James Wolford, was not as secret as she thought.

"I can't believe he said that," Judy said with a chuckle as Nadine covered her eyes, hiding from her embarrassment.

Not looking out from behind her paws, Nadine answered, "I know it had to be one the most embarrassing moments of my life. It was like when my mom caught my high school boyfriend and me um being friendly…" Nadine said, trailing off.

"What did James say?" Judy asked as she continued to laugh. "I bet he was mortified that Bogo knows.

Peaking out from behind her paws, Nadine looked at the smaller rabbit. "I haven't told him yet." She said quietly as if ashamed.

"Nadine!" Judy said in mock admonishment. "You have to tell him!"

"I know, but you know how high-strung and dramatic he can be. If I told him that Bogo knew about us AND basically told me he approved, James would go hide from the embarrassment. I might never see him again."

Judy smiled. "Or he could propose on the spot."

Ultimately looking out from behind her paws, Nadine looked at Judy with her eye wide. "You think?"

Again Judy was unable to control the wave of laughter that overtook her as she watched the sudden change in behavior of the tiger. "Would you do it?" Judy wanted to know. "If he asked, I mean?"

"Do what? Nadine asked, pretending not to know what Judy was asking.

Judy smiled, knowing the tiger just wanted her to say it. "If he asked to make it official. Would you be Mrs. Wolford?"

Appearing to think for a second, Nadine quickly gave up the ruse and looked at Judy, a blissful smile on her face. "Of course, I would. I love that dumb wolf."

"Well, that solves it. Just tell him, or better yet, you ask him!" Judy said, her smile not dimming even slightly.

"That's the problem," Nadine said, a hint of concern in her voice. "I want it to come from him. I don't want him to feel pressured, or to do it because he thinks I want it. I want him to ask because it's what he wants." Nadine paused and looked back at Judy. "Is that crazy? I'm not unrealistic, am I?"

Shaking her head to the negative, Judy looked at the tiger. "It's not crazy to want him to be happy and to want it as much as you do. Besides, you are the best thing to ever happen to him. Making it official is just common sense." Pausing, a smile crossed Judy's face before she joked. "But, if you're waiting for a male of any species to use common sense, it might be a long wait."

Laughing at Judy's joke, Nadine looked at the smaller rabbit. "How are you doing, by the way. We haven't had a real chance to talk since that day in the hall." Nadie watched expecting the rabbit to withdraw or to at least sound sad. What she wasn't expecting, was Judy to be excited and happy.

"Things are good," Judy said, not losing her smile.

Nadine smiled, "Good, I was worried."

Looking out the window, as if to check for someone listening, Judy turned back to her partner. "I met someone."

"WHAT?" Nadine said, unable to hide her surprise.

Judy nodded, her smile only getting more significant. "We aren't dating or anything, just talking. But, I do feel a connection with him."

Still trying to process the shock she was feeling Nadine congratulated Judy again. "I'm so happy for you." Gathering herself, Nadine let the questions flow. "Do you think you and this mystery male might have a future?"

"I don't know," Judy answered honestly. "It's kind of like having Nick back. I just feel so close to him."

Instantly Nadine's heart sank as she realized who Judy's new male friend probably was. "Judy, is he a fox?"

"How did you guess?" Judy asked, still blissfully unaware of her partner's concerns. "He looks like Nick and makes me feel good like Nick did. Maybe it's Nick come back for me," Judy joked.

Nadine didn't laugh. "Judy, are you talking about Sal Russo? The perp we arrested a few weeks ago?"

"It is," Judy said proudly. "Nice deduction detective."

The worried look on Nadine's face only deepened, yet it went unnoticed by the bubbly bunny next to her.

"We have been talking. It started out as me trying to get information out of him, but we really connected. We became friends. He's so much like Nick. Sometimes if I close my eyes, I swear Nick is back with me."

"Judy," Nadine said, her voice heavy with worry. "Sal isn't Nick,"

Rolling her eyes, Judy laughed. "Of course not silly, he's Sal. OOOH," Judy said as she almost jumped out of her seat. "Wouldn't it be cool if Nick was possessing Sal? Using Sal to talk to me? That would be so romantic."

Closing her eyes and shaking her head, Nadine let out a sigh. "Judy, Sal isn't Nick. Sal isn't possessed by Nick or channeling him. He's just Sal, a suspect in a crime that you arrested."

"I know," Judy said, coming back to earth a bit. "But there is something about him. He makes me feel good. I just feel so comfortable around him, like he gets me. No-one other than Nick has made me feel like that. Nadine, I know this sounds crazy, but there is something there I can feel it."

Nadine turned to her partner and bend down to looker her in the eyes. "Judy, Sal isn't Nick. You know that, right? He is just another fox. Yes, he looks a bit like Nick, but that is just a coincidence.

"Please, you have to understand. Sal is just another fox. If you tell this type of thing to Bogo, he will take your badge." Nadine said as she pleased with the now unhappy bunny.

Gone was Judy's smile replaces by a sneer. "As long as I can, I'm going to keep chatting with Nick. He makes me happy, and I don't particularly care what you, Bogo, or anyone else thinks."

"Do you hear your self?" Nadine asked as Judy's slip didn't go unnoticed.

"I don't care," Judy said. Pointing to the clock on the dash of the patrol car. "Take me back to the station. I have paperwork to do."

With Judy angrily staring out the window, Nadine pulled the cruiser into traffic. Trying again, she said, "Judy, I'm worried about you."

"So is Sal. Judy grumbled under her breath.

-

After leaving Ma's house, Anthony had slipped into the backseat of a waiting sedan. His men had continued the deliveries, while Anthony was being driven back to the Skulk's base on the other side of Happytown. Jordy, the fennec fox, was driving the sedan.

Since getting into the car, Anthony had been silent. He looked out the window with something on his mind. It was this detached look, and something Anthony said to Ma that had been bothering Jordy. Finally working up the nerve to ask. "Sir," Jordy said carefully, not wanting to anger the boss. "Something bothering you?"

Looking out the window of the car, Anthony was seemingly deep in thought. But he still answered, "I'm fine, Jordy. Just thinking about what Ma said." Anthony said plainly, the anger he had earlier now missing from his voice.

"You mind if I ask you something?" Jordy continued pressing on the white fox.

"Go ahead," Anthony responded, still calm.

"Why rescue the reds? I mean Geno and Sal are good guys, They are loyal and everything. But they aren't that important. We got a hundred fox's just like em. We left their type in jail many times. They go away for a nickel, and we take care of them for keeping quiet." Jordy glanced in the rearview mirror, hoping he didn't anger the white fox. "I just don't see what's so special about those two. Especially with the big meeting with Omni coming up in a couple of days."

"The meeting with the Omni is why I want the reds out. I want Sal to be there with me." Anthony said.

Jordy was confused. "Why, Sal? Like I said, he's a good fox. But what's so special about him?"

"You're right," Anthony said. "Sal is special. He's different than the rest." Anthony looked at his paw admiring the white fur and sharp claws. "He helped me become the fox I am today."

Glancing in the rearview mirror, Jordy saw Anthony admiring his white-furred paw. "You mean your color?" Jordy asked.

Anthony smiled. "All of it. He didn't do what he did, and I'm probably dead and defiantly not in charge. I figured I owe him. Besides, I love to watch what he becomes."

A raised eye was the only sign that Jordy didn't understand the boss's cryptic answer. Only a few members of the Skulk knew Anthony's origin, and while Sal seemed to be one of them, Jordy wasn't. "Ok," Jordy said, not willing to push the boss farther. if Anthony thinks Sal is necessary, Jordy wasn't going to argue. "So boss, how do you want it done? You want me to take a few guys and trash the joint?"

A loud laugh came from the back seat of the sedan that made Jordy's skin crawl. "You are going to trash Precinct One? With a couple of guys? You will be in jail next to Sal and Geno in no time." Anthony said, still laughing at his lieutenant. "No, Jordy, I'm going to handle this one myself."

A worried look settled on Jordy's face as he looked at Anthony in the mirror.

"You sure boss? I don't want you getting pinched. Especially right before your meeting." Jordy said, showing real concern for Anthony.

"Don't worry. The ZPD is going to welcome me in. I guarantee it."

-

A loud laugh pierced the silence that was the norm in the cell blocks in precinct one.

"Naked?" Judy said between laughs.

"As the day he was born," Sal said as he laughed along.

Wiping a tear from her eye, Judy continued. "I'm surprised her dad didn't kill Geno right there."

"I know," Sal said, agreeing with the bunny. "He's my brother, but he completely misunderstood what she meant by moving their relationship to the next level."

For a few moments more, the two laughed together at Geno's mistake.

As they calmed down, Sal added, "As you could probably guess, they aren't together anymore."

"Yeah," Judy answered, enjoying spending time with the fox. "Thank you, by the way. I needed a good laugh. I haven't had many since I lost Nick. He always made me laugh. Like you do."

Looking down, a serious look spread across Sal's face. "Judy?" He asked hesitantly.

"Yes?" She answered, a bit curious why the fox's demeanor suddenly changed.

Sal shuffled on his cot. "You don't have to answer this if you don't want to, but what happened to your partner?"

Judy's eyes opened wide as she stared at Sal, a morose melancholy filling her with dread as she shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "I, I told you he passed away."

It was Sal's turn to shift uncomfortably. "No, I know that," He said. "I mean, how did it happen?"

A tear fell from Judy's eye as her emotions shifted so quickly from joy to curiosity, to pain. Sal cringed when he saw the tear, realizing how hard it must be for her. "You don't have to tell me. If you don't want to," Sal said backtracking.

"No, it's fine," Judy said with a sniffle. "I can tell you about how Nick died.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hmm, Anthony isn't what he seems, and Sal and Judy are about to have the talk. 
> 
> Do you think you know what Judy is going to say? Do you think she knows the whole story? How will Sal take it? What is Anthony planning? Will this next chapter answer any questions, or will it just create more? 
> 
> Here's a hint. I have at least another six chapters already outlined and a summary for what happens after that. 
> 
> Please review and post any theories!


	7. Saying Goodbye.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judy tells the story of how she lost Nick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know a lot of you have been waiting to see how Nick died. Here you go.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked." A concerned Sal said as a second tear ran down the cheek of the deflated looking bunny who sat on the other side of his cell bars. "I was just curious. You have told me so much about him."

"No, no. It's ok." Judy said in a broken voice as she struggled to control her emotions.

Sal grimaced as he watched the waves of emotions wash over Judy. "I'm sorry, if I knew how painful it still was, I wouldn't have asked. I thought cops were used to stuff like that. Detached from it."

A disapproving look emanating from Judy and directed at Sal only served to deepen his guilt. "That was dumb. He's still your friend. Look, you don't have to tell me," Sal said again, "Forget I asked. Let's talk about something else."

Judy shook her head to the negative. "No, I need to be ok telling this story. Besides, you are right. I've already told you so much about Nick. I shouldn't leave this out."

Sal watched Judy's movements as she looked down towards the floor. He wasn't sure why but the look of sadness on her face affected him he didn't expect. It wasn't that he wasn't a sympathetic mammal. But he couldn't recall ever wanting to console another mammal as bad as he did now. It hurt him to watch her suffer and to not be able to comfort her.

But Judy didn't give him much time to. Mull over his emotion before she started her story. "The call wasn't really anything special," Judy said, breaking the room's tension and silence. "It was a suspected break-in at Zootopia University. The silent alarm in one of the chemistry labs was tripped. We get them all the time. Most of the time, they are false alarms, someone forgot their key. Or, it's a few kits looking to pull a prank or something."

Looking up, Judy looked at Sal. Thankfully for Sal, for the moment, Judy's mood seemed to improve, and the desire he felt to comfort her and hold her subsided. "We really didn't think much of it when we received the call. I was driving, and Nick was joking around like always. I swear that fox couldn't take anything seriously." Judy laughed at the memory. "We were on our way to the scene, and he was more worried about where we were going to grab some dinner after our shift."

A slight smile crossed Sal's face." Probably for the best. You wouldn't want to be in a car with a hungry fox, little bunny." He said with a mischievous wink, betraying his words for the joke they were. "I mean, I've seen your uniform. I couldn't blame him for wanting a taste."

To Sal's amusement, Judy's ears turned a deeper red. It was clear that even though she ignored the double meaning of Sal's words, the joke didn't fly over her head. A bit flustered, she continued. "There were no signs of a break-in out front. At this point, we were both figuring it was another false alarm." Judy paused, taking a deep breath, and letting it out before she continued.

"As we walked around the building, we found a door just slightly ajar. Someone had left a wad of paper in the frame that kept the door from locking. It could be an accident, or it could be on purpose, but it was what triggered the alarm. Unfortunately, this meant we had to search the building. Nick took the lead entering the building, while I called it in." Again Judy paused, as she looked back to the floor.

For a few moments, the two sat there in silence. Finally, worrying that there might be something wrong with the diminutive police officer, Sal leaned forward on his cot. "Judy?" Sal asked, trying to snap the bunny out of her sudden silence. When Judy didn't move or answer, he tried again. "Hey, Earth to Officer Fluff, you ok over there?" Sal looked at her, noticing the tears forming in her eyes again. Sal knew something was wrong, and yet the urge to protect and comfort her reared up in him. Once again, it struck him as odd to feel so strongly about the bunny, but he didn't care. He was more preoccupied with her. Fortunately, she finally spoke.

She didn't look up, but said, "I told them we could handle it. When I called it in. Dispatch asked if we needed backup." Looking up from the ground, Judy's eyes locked on to Sal's. "I said no. We were alone because I said no. If we had back up…" Judy's voice trailed off as tears formed in her eyes.

Standing from his bed, Sal quickly walked to the bars of his cage. "Hey, listen to me," Sal called as Judy started to spiral back into sadness. Sticking his paw through the bars, he reached for her. She was almost too far away, but he could just reach her paw. Grasping it, Sal was amazed for a second how much smaller it was than his, but how it seemed to fit perfectly. But Sal didn't have time to think about that now. Looking back to Judy, he said, "There is no way you could have known what was going to happen. I didn't know your partner, but I know from what you told me about him, he wouldn't want you to blame yourself."

With a sniffle, Judy nodded. "You're right," She said quietly, even if she wasn't sure she actually agreed with the fox. A few more moments passed in silence. Sal watched as Judy composed herself.

With Judy calmer, Sal begrudgingly released her paw and returned to his seat on his cot. "So, you two searched the building?" Sal offered not wanting Judy to focus on other than her call."

"Yeah. We started to clear the building. Nothing was a mess, nothing destroyed. We figured it was a false alarm. Maybe at worst, a homeless mammal had made their way in for the night."

"We didn't find anything. We were just about done. Nick was back to going over possible dinner destination as we cleared the last few rooms. I don't know why, but he was obsessed with finding someplace nice." Judy allowed her self a small smile as she remembered Nick. "Most of the time, we went to diners or other places with plenty of prey and pred options. But for some reason, he was set on something different. Someplace bit nicer."

Again Judy's voice trailed off as she retreated into her memories. Looking back, Judy couldn't help but wonder if maybe Nick as going to tell her about the feelings he had entrusted in Wolford. Gathering herself quickly before Sal noticed her suspicions, she continued her story. "We were getting ready to leave when I heard something coming from the storage rooms behind the chemistry labs. I still remember the look on Nick's face. He still didn't think much of it. He was more annoyed than worried," Judy said as her disposition brightened up slightly as she remembered Nick's dramatics.

"You should have seen his act. Rolling his eyes, big dramatic sighs. He whined all the way down the hall, like a kit being forced to go home from the playground."

Sal smiled as he pictured the scene, and the smirk he was sure was on Judy's face. "Just a big pup, eh?" Sal said, encouraging the happier memory.

"Yeah," Judy said, her smile growing slightly as she remembered more of Nick's antics. "At the door of the lab, we once again found the wadded up paper in the door." Judy's smile faded, and her voice took on a more serious tone. "The odds of this happening twice is pretty small."

Sal shook his head in understanding. "Someone was doing it on purpose."

Judy nodded. "When we entered the lab, it was quiet. Nothing seemed out of place. The tables appeared untouched, the same with the extra chemicals on the wall opposite us. Even the emergency door was still latched and undisturbed.

"Creepy," Sal said

"It kind of was. I listened at the door but didn't hear anything. Whoever was in there was being quiet. But they didn't fool Nick. As he stood behind me, he let out a low growl. I couldn't see what he was looking for, so I turned to him. He didn't say anything, only tapping his nose. He could smell them." Judy looked to Sal, who didn't seem surprised.

Judy looked at Sal, curious about his lack of reaction. it prompted him to explain. "I'm a fox to remember. We have a good sense of smell. It's how I know you're here before I can see you.

Judy paused as Sal's humor fell flat. Moving on, Judy continued the story. "Nick entered first, following his nose with his tranq gun drawn." Pausing again, Just seemed to be watching the memories in her mind. The intruder must have known Nick could smell him because he attacked first, rushing Nick. But Nick was ready for him, quickly putting him on the ground with a dart in his shoulder. It was then we saw he was a red fox, like Nick."

Shifting uncomfortably, Sal kept his face still hiding the fact that he couldn't help but wonder if it was part of his Skulk that was responsible for this crime.

"Then, I, I made a mistake."

Judy paused as she relived the moment. "I was watching Nick. Admiring how easily he took the suspect down." Looking up, she met Sal's gaze. "I was proud of him. He had come so far. I didn't even notice the other fox sneak up behind me."

Tears were beginning to appear in Judy's eyes again. "The fox slashed at me dragging his claws down my back. I remember the pain. It burned so bad. Before I knew what was happening, I was being lifted into the air and slammed down on the table. I couldn't breathe. It felt. Like I had just been stabbed in the side."

Grimacing, Sal imagines the pain.

"I grabbed my side and, and it happened so fast. I was being lifted by my foot. Nick was rushing toward me. The next thing I know, I'm hitting the ground rolling down the hall just outside the lab."

Judy's voice dropped as she remembered the pain. "Everything hurt, and I was bleeding pretty bad. A new pain in my ankle where he grabbed me and my wrist throbbed as I pulled myself up to see Nick."

"Were you hurt bad?" Sal asked, a bit of concern in his voice.

Judy shook her head. "It hurt but nothing serious. A broken wrist and ankle, the slashes on my back, and three broken ribs."

His jaw hanging open Sal was shocked. "That isn't serious?" He asked, his voice clearly showing his astonishment.

"Not compared to what happened to Nick," Judy said in a voice so cold that Sal shivered.

"When I looked back into the lab, I saw Nick pulling himself back to his feet. Apparently, after I was thrown, he rammed the other fox, knocking him away from me. For a second, Nick and I locked eyes. Then without warning, he closed the door on me.

"The other fox?" Sal asked.

"No," Judy said, shaking her head. "Nick did."

Confused, Sal asked, "Why?"

Judy shrugged. "I don't know," She said as she started to cry. "I don't know why I could have helped him. Instead, he was locked in that lab alone with that crazy fox. I'll never forget the look in his eyes. It was fear and sadness," Judy paused, once again, needed a few moments to gather herself before she could continue. "It was almost like he was saying goodbye."

"Do you think he knew?" Sal asked regretting asking it almost the second it escaped his mouth. 

"I don't know," Judy answered, "I don't know what he was thinking. I could have helped him, and maybe things would have turned out different.

A look of sympathy appeared on Sal's face. "Judy, you were injured…"

"It doesn't matter," Judy said, cutting him off. "I could have helped. But he stopped me."

Sal looked at Judy, compassion in his eyes. "Or that fox could have killed you both,"

The room is silent as Judy seemed to ponder Sal's statement. Sal watched as Judy worked through what he said in her mind. When she finally did speak, her answer was not what the red fox expected.

"Would that have been so bad? At least then, it would have hurt less."

"NO!" Sal practically yelled before he even knew he was doing it. "Fluff, don't talk like that. You are a great cop. I mean, you managed to catch me, right?" Sal said, only half-joking. "The city needs good cops. One's who look at me and see more than just another sly fox."

Judy paused, looking up at Sal. She didn't say anything. The similarities to what Sal just said and what Nick said on the gondola ride didn't escape her.

In his cell, Sal, unaware of why Judy was staring at him, grew nervous. He was worried he said something wrong or made her feel uncomfortable. But most of all, he worried that the fox Nick was about to fight was part of Sal's Skulk. In an effort to move the conversation along and answer his questions, he asked, "What type of fox was he?"

"He was a red fox, like Nick," Judy said, her voice trailing off. "But he wasn't like Nick. He wanted to hurt other mammals. He enjoyed it. I watched him get back to his feet. He was laughing. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but it enraged Nick."

"Do you think," Sal paused, asking his questions carefully. "Do you think Nick knew the fox?"

"I don't know," Judy said. "But if he did, they hated each other."

"After a few minutes of the two arguing, the fox charged at Nick." Judy shivered as she remembered. They weren't throwing punches. They were both on all fours, snapping and trying to claw at the other." Judy looked down again, not able to look at Sal.

"I've seen predators fight before. I saw them during the night howler incident. But, I never saw Nick go so," Judy paused as she looked for the word. "savage."

"Were you afraid of him?" Sal asked, a bit unsure if it was a question he should be asking.

"It was weird. I was scared for Nick but never scared of him. I don't know why. I should have been, I'm a bunny after all. I was scared of the other fox. But something inside me knew that as savage and predatory as Nick looked, he would never hurt me."

"That's good, I guess," Sal said.

"I don't know how to explain it. But I never felt scared around Nick. Even when he had is teeth to my throat in the museum. I was never afraid of him."

Sal's face contorted as he tried to figure out why Nick might have his jaws wrapped around the throat of the bunny sitting on the other side of the bars.

Seeing the look on Sal's face, Judy smiled. "We were acting, pretending Nick was savage so we could catch Bellwether. You know the dirty assistant mayor. It was in the papers."

Nodding, Sal watched Judy as her moment of happiness faded, and she returned to her story. "Both Nick and the other fox were bleeding and hurt. Somehow they got tangled up into each other. Nick picked the other fox up by his shirt and slammed him into the wall holding the extra chemicals, smashing the glass containers, and coating both of them in who knows what."

Judy began to fidget in her chair as the memories made her uncomfortable. I could see Nick panicking to take off his shirt as the chemicals quickly ate through the fabric. I could see the smoke rising off of him from where it hit his fur. But the other fox…" Judy's voice trailed off as she remembered the horror of what happened to the other fox.

"What happened?" Sal asked as he leaned towards Judy.

"Nick was just splashed with the chemicals. But the other fox was soaked in them. I was horrified at what I saw. As he staggered to his feet, you could see the chemicals had burned off a lot of his fur, and he had chemical burns on the skin underneath. The fur that was left had turned white. All of the color was sucked out of it."

Sal's ear's perked up when Judy spoke of the white fur on this other fox. Was this perhaps how Anthony turned white? Some of it bleached on the scene, the rest coming in white after the burns healed.

Not noticing Sal's break in attention, Judy continued. "I remember how that fox screamed in agony." Judy shook her head, trying to shake the memory loose and out of her mind. He tried to get up and fight Nick, but it was no use. He was too hurt and even touching, Nick left him in agony. He started to retreat when Nick ended it with a paw to the jaw. Leaving the fox in a pile on the ground.

"Wow," Sal said

"Nick stood over him, breathing heavy. He was tired and hurt. But he had beaten him." Judy paused as the tears flooded her eyes. "Then Nick looked at me. For a second, our eyes met. He was hurt, but he smiled. I was so relieved. But, but, we didn't know there was someone else in there. I didn't see him. Neither did Nick. I only saw him right before he swung a baseball bat at Nick's head."

Tears fell freely from Judy's eyes. "Nick crumpled to the ground, holding the side of his face. Then as Nick lay there, the fox hit him so many times. He just kept hitting him. When he finally stopped. Nick wasn't moving, I could see the blood. This new fox stood over him, holding the bat, laughing. He was taunting Nick. Mocking him as he lay there. Laughing at him as he lay there, dying."

Sal didn't say anything, unable to put the pity and pain he was feeling for Judy into words.

Shaking, Judy continued. "Leaving Nick, he walked back to the now open emergency door and waved a few other foxes in. They started to load up their injured friends. I was still locked out, but all I could think about was getting to that door. If I got to that door, I could get to Nick.

"Your ankle…" Sal said, remembering Judy's injury.

Shaking her head, Judy dismissed his worry. "It didn't matter. All that mattered was getting to Nick. I ran as fast as I could down the halls and out of the building. I was outside and about halfway around the building when I first noticed the smell."

Confused, Sal asked, "Smell?"

"The lab was on fire. Forensics said it was from the chemicals mixing. But I still think they set it.

"Why?" Sal asked.

"To stop me from getting to him," Judy said, accusing the unknown assailant. "As I got there, I saw them loading up their injured members and speeding off. But I didn't care. I was only looking for Nick. When I got inside, it was so hard to see. There was this thick white smoke, and Nick wasn't where I left him. Somehow he had managed to crawl across the room. But he was trapped under a pipe that had snapped in the heat of the fire."

"I started to climb to him. I didn't know if I could get him, but I had to try. I couldn't leave him there to die alone. But I was stopped."

"Stopped?" Sal asked.

"It was Grizzoli. He saw me run in and followed me into the fire. Seconds later, the fire suppression system went off, filling the room with C02. Grizzoli had to restrain me. I was eventually sedated by the paramedics. I don't remember anything after that, but I was told the story."

"Judy, I'm sorry," Sal said, not wanting to push her farther.

"Grizzoli made the ID. They found Nick's badge in his paw, so they guessed Nick was looking for that before he was trapped under the pipe. The autopsy said it was the hit to his head that killed him." Judy paws balled into fists.

Leaning forward, Judy started to cry harder, the pure hopelessness of the situation being too much for her.

Sal watched as Judy cried for her fallen friend, his own eyes filling with tears. "Judy, if there is anything I can do…" He began to offer, but he stopped realizing there was nothing he could do but sit there.

"We never figured out what they were after. Why they were in the lab. "That, that bastard with the baseball bat. He took him from me for nothing." Judy cried.

Stepping back to the bars, Sal once again reached for Judy. He wanted to embrace her. To hold her, but the best he could do was grab her paw. "I'm sorry you had to go through this. It sounds like he was very special to you.

"He was", Judy said though her tears.

"I'm sorry for what you had to go through Carrots," Sal said, Causing Judy to pause and look up at the fox.

"What did you just say?"

-

In another part of Zootopia, on the edge of Happytown, a different fox was in a much different mood. It was a beautiful day to be outside, and Anthony happily walked down the street, a smile on his face. As he walked, he would pause to look into the occasional shop window or watch the local kids play.

Anthony missed being out on the street. Ever since his accident, Anthony had been unable to spend a lot of time outside. His white fur very noticeable to his enemies. Plus, the chemicals that bleached it left his skin and eyes very sensitive to the sunlight.

As he continued down the street, he read the shop signs until he finally saw the shop he had been looking for. Anthony sighed as he walked into Mel's Pawn, a small, fox owned pawn shop that the Skulk had worked with before. Quietly, Anthony walked to the counter of the pawnshop. "Anthony? What are you doing here, my boy?" The shopkeeper said in a friendly tone, absent of the fear many mammals held for the white fox. 

"Mel, I need a favor," Anthony said as he reached into his pocket, retrieving a thick roll of bills, that instantly grabbed Mel's attention.

Anthony began to count them out on to the Pawnshops counter. "Um, Anything," Mel said, his eyes not leaving the ever-growing stack of bills.

When he finished counting, Anthony smiled. "I knew I could count on you. Here you go," Anthony said, handing the thick stack of money to the shopkeeper. "I think this should be plenty for the damages."

Confused, Mel tipped his head. "Damages?"

Not bothering to explain, Anthony picked up a tv sitting next to the register and threw it at the front window shattering it and the tv. Turning back to look at Mel, Anthony smiled. "Damages." Grabbing a vintage guitar off the wall, Anthony swung it at the counter, breaking the guitar into toothpicks. Taking the neck of the broken guitar, Anthony, swung at the glass case used to display jewelry.

Dropping the guitar neck, Anthony looked around the shop, inspecting his work. Turning back, he smiled at the shellshocked Mel. "That should be enough. I'm going to go wait out front for the ZPD. If the money doesn't cover this, be sure to let one of my boys know." He said just as politely as when he first created the shopkeeper.

"Yeah sure, "Mel answered as he looked a the mess his shop was in.

Anthony began to walk out of the shop when he paused, snapped his fingers, and turned back to face Mel. "Make sure you call the ZPD. We wouldn't want me getting away with this, would we."

Still not entirely sure what was going on, Mel just nodded. "Good man," Anthony said as he walked out of the front of the store. There, on the sidewalk in front of the store, not too far from where the TV landed, Anthony saw a vendor selling fresh fruit out of his cart. Smiling, at the raccoon working the cart, Anthony walked up and picked up an apple.

Looking at it for a second, Anthony said, "Perfect," as he reached into his pocket and handed the raccoon money for the piece of fruit. Taking his snack, Anthony leaned on the wall next to the broken window. As he took a bite of his apple, he could hear the sirens of a ZPD patrol car in the distance.

It was, after all a beautiful day to be outside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like that one. This was a really rough chapter on me. Staying in Judy's voice and writing the entire thing from her point of view was difficult. But I felt it lost something without her and Sal's feelings being in there. It also allowed me to hide a few more clues into the story. 
> 
> I would love to know what you think about the chapter, and if it has changed your opinions about the story's central mystery. Also, we are almost caught up to the first chapter, and what does Anthony have planned?
> 
> So please comment and review!


	8. Alone Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judy questions Sal, Anthony is welcomed in by the cops, and Judy asks an old friend for help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note, - chapter 1 takes place in the middle of the events of this chapter. I hope that isn't confusing to anyone.

"Keep it moving fox," Officer Miller, a white-tailed deer buck, said as he pushed the recently arrested Anthony in front of him. The two walked into one of the cell blocks where the fox was going to be held for destroying Mel's pawn shop.

Stumbling forward, Anthony had to bite his tongue to suppress a growl. 

"Your new temporary home awaits. I hope whatever set you off in that shop is worth this," Miller said, as he grabbed a clipboard by the door. After a second of looking at the clipboard, a smile spread across the buck's face. "Look, you even have a neighbor," Miller said with a laugh as he held the clipboard so Anthony could see it. "Another fox. Guess that isn't that surprising, is it? I mean, the odds of another fox being in here are pretty good, don't you think?"

Miller's laugh further infuriated the fox as he entered the cell block and started to walk to his cell. Looking around, Anthony took stock of his situation. Unsurprisingly there weren't many ways out of the room. The door they entered from being the only option. Anthony sighed. This made things a little more complicated but not impossible. 

"At least you're an easy one," Miller said. "Most of your type are fighting me, telling me how innocent they are and how the system is unfair."

Listening to the officer made Anthony's skin crawl. But the fox was doing his best to ignore it. Instead, he focused on the tumblers inside the lock of the paw cuffs he wore on each arm. Carefully he lined up one after another until a quiet click and the sudden disappearance of the tight feeling of the restraints disappeared, signaled his success. 

Turning the corner, Anthony saw Geno and smiled knowingly. Knowing why the white fox was there, Geno returned the smile happy to see his friend and brother in the Skulk. 

Seeing the smiles, Miller couldn't help himself. "You two know each other? I thought all you foxes were solitary. I didn't realize petty crooks kept tabs on each other." Millar said before a flash of sharp black claws across his neck silenced him. 

Millar fell to his knees, shocked by the fox's freedom and the sudden pain in his neck. His hooves panicky, grasped at the gaping hole in his throat, doing what he could to stifle the ample flow of blood emanating from the wound. Watching in horror, Miller was unable to say anything as Anthony bent down and removed the key chain from the buck's belt. "Thank you, officer," Anthony said with a pleasant smile. 

Calmly Anthony unlocked his remaining paw cuff before opening the door next to him and freeing Geno. "It's good to see you, brother," Anthony said as he embraced the other fox. Breaking the embrace, Anthony continued to talk to Geno. "We have to hurry, we don't have a lot of time."

-

In the other cell block, Judy was starting to panic. "Carrots? Did you call me Carrots?"

Sal looked at Judy, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to offend you. I just…”

Ignoring his apology, Judy continued, "Why did you call me that? Did someone tell you to call me that?" Standing from her chair, Judy's mood was suddenly apprehensive and suspicious.

Walking the length of Sal's cell, Judy continued to stare at him, making Sal uncomfortable. "Do I have something on my face?" He asked uncomfortably, trying to lighten things up with a joke as the rabbit stared at him with a curious look.

"Why did you call me Carrots?" Judy asked again, her behavior agitated as she stared at Sal. How do you know about that?"

"Know about what?" Sal asked. "It's just a nickname…”

Shaking her head from side to side, Judy mumbled, "No, no, no," Then louder, she addressed Sal. "It's not, just a nickname, and you know it. Who told you to call me that?"

Becoming more uncomfortable at the bunny's suddenly erratic behavior, Sal stepped back from the bars. "I don't know, you're a bunny, bunnies like carrots," Sal said in his defense, not knowing why it bothered Judy.

Continuing to stare, Judy was making Sal uncomfortable. "You look so much like him," Judy said.

"Who do I look like?"

"Nick,"

"Nick, your former partner? Well, I'm a red fox, and you said he's a red fox. I would assume there would be some similarities. But we are still two different mammals. Or do all foxes look the same to you?" Sal said, with a bit of a laugh, again attempting to distract her with a joke. 

"No, not all foxes look alike, but you look like him. You talk like him. And, you don't remember how you got hurt…” Judy trailed off. Thinking for a second, a knowing smile spread across her face. "Is it you, isn't it? All along, it was you. 

"It was me? Sal asked, still not following Judy's logic. 

"You just slipped up, didn't you?" Judy asked. "When you called me Carrots."

Sal shook his head. "I didn't, I mean…” He trailed off as a suddenly almost giddy Judy pressed against the bars of his cell. "I knew it was you, from the minute I saw you. Leaning against the bars, hoping Sal would move towards her, but he remained just out of reach. "Was it because of me? You weren't hiding because of me, were you?" Judy looked at him, waiting for a response, but Sal didn't answer. Please, tell me. I have to know. Why did you leave me? Was it something I did?"

Holding his paws up in defense, a worried look appeared on his face as Sal stepped back farther into his cell and away from the disturbed bunny. "Judy," Sal said, now cautious to only use her proper name, "I'm Salvador, you know, Sal? The fox you put in here? We've been talking for an hour." 

But Judy wasn't listening anymore, she had made up her mind, "Nick, I know it's you. It's ok. I'm not mad. I know you must have had your reasons. I'm sorry if I played any part in you leaving." Judy paused as an idea took over her brain, bring it with it another slightly disturbing smile. "Or, Are you undercover? Is that why you faked your death? If you can't talk here, just give me some sort of signal."

"I'm not undercover, Judy. I'm not a cop! I'm not Nick." Sal said his voice growing more panicked as the bunny in front of him grew more emotional. 

"Please, Nick, just give me something to let me know it's you. Something to prove I'm not going crazy!"

Starting into Judy's eyes, Sal's heart was breaking. He could see the pain and hope in her eyes. Her desperate pleas revealing how much she cared for this other fox, and how desperately she wanted him back.

Conflicting feelings were brewing within Sal. He had never dated outside of his species before. It had been a while, but all of his past girlfriends had all been vixens. Yet this bunny was driving him crazy. He had feelings for her that he didn't understand, and that had developed way too fast. Feelings that now had him considering doing something drastic, telling her what she wanted to hear.

For only a moment, Sal considered telling her he was her fox. Judy would be so happy, and he could hold her as she cried tears of joy. Maybe even be together when he got out of here. But just as quickly as the thought popped into his mind, Sal dismissed it, knowing it would be wrong. It would hurt her to find out the truth, and he wasn't willing to do anything that might hurt her. Secretly he hated himself a bit for even considering it. 

"I'm sorry," Sal said, looking to the ground defeated, knowing there was no way he could be the fox she needed. "But I'm not him."

Judy dropped back to her chair. "But, you have to be…” Judy said as she began to cry. "You have to be. I can't do this without him!"

Sal stared at the bunny as she continued to breakdown. Then, the sudden sound of metal scraping on concrete broke Sal's concentration and drew Judy's attention away from each other as they focused it on the noise. Pausing, they both looked for its source.

Then came the voice. "Sal, my brother, where are you?" It said as it echoed throughout the small cell block. 

Sal's eyes went wide as he instantly recognized the voice. Turning to the distraught doe in front of him, a now serious and worried Sal said, "Judy, you have to go! Now!"

"Nick, I'm not going to leave you," Judy said, holding on to the bars as she continued to cry.

"I told you I'm not Nick!" Sal said a bit go a growl in his voice. "Now get out of here. I don't know what Anthony will do if he sees you! But I guarantee he isn't the type of mammal you want to mess with!"

A confused look settled on Judy's face. "Anthony?" She questioned, not heeding Sal's warning. "We're in Precinct one. We are surrounded by cops. There is nothing he can do." Judy said confidently, despite the wet streaks from her tears still being present on her cheeks. 

Turning the corner, Anthony saw Judy standing there talking to Sal. Instantly his smile faded, and a snarl took its place. Stretching out his paws, Judy saw the long black claws that were already stained with the fresh blood of officer watching the door. "Hello, bunny, long time no see," Anthony said, his voice dripping with venom. "How's the back?"

"You, you, you…” Judy said as she retreated backward, her whole body suddenly shaking in fear. 

Stepping out from behind Anthony, Geno looked first at Sal and then to Judy. "You know her,"

Anthony smiled as he continued to advance towards Judy. "Miss Hopps and I go way back."

Stepping to the front of his cell, a suddenly protective Sal yelled at Anthony. "Leave her alone!" Realizing that ordering around the Skulk's leader might not be a good idea, Sal tried again, this time with a more playful voice." I mean, come on. I'm itching to be out of this cage. Stop playing with the bunny and get me out of here."

Geno makes his way to Sal's cell door, but Anthony continued to intimidate the smaller prey animal before him. 

Walking backward, Judy tripped over her chair, landing on the ground. Still, her eyes never left the bright white predator who continued to advance towards her. "Officer Hopps here owes me. Don't your little bunny." Anthony said as he raised one paw showing Judy his claws. You and your partner took away the red from my fur. Only fair that you give me a little bit of red back." Anthony smiled a wicked smile showing Judy his sharp teeth.

At the door to his cell, a now almost frantic Sal shook the bars yelling at Geno. "Geno, come on, get me out of here!" 

Taking the keys from his pocket, Geno opened the door of Sal's cell. Opening his arms, Geno was going to embrace his brother, as Anthony did him. But Sal wasn't looking at Geno. Instead, he pushed past, racing to where Anthony towered over a terrified Judy. 

Anthony raised his paw as he readied himself to strike. "Bye-bye, bunny," He said as his paw and the razor-sharp claws began their descent. But his arm didn't move far before it stopped. Anthony could feel the grip of another mammal at his wrist. 

Looking back over his shoulder, Anthony saw Sal standing there. holding Anthony's arm. "No," Sal said forcefully.

"NO?!" Anthony asked his anger now directed towards Sal as he looked at him with a twinge of worry. "Who do you think you are?

"You know who I am. I'm the mammal who saved you once and is doing it again. We don't have time for your petty revenge right now."

For a second time seemed to freeze as Anthony considered his next move. Finally, with his arm going slack, Anthony smiled. "Ok, Sal. Let's go,"

Taking one last longing look at Judy, Sal quickly redirected his attention to the now happy and smiling fox. "Lead the way," Anthony said as he walked past Judy and Sal towards the door that leads them out of the holding cells. 

Still sitting on the floor, Judy looked up to Sal. "Thank you," She said quietly so that only he could hear. 

Lingering for a second longer, Sal continued to look at Judy before he wordlessly turned and jogged to catch up with the other foxes.

-

Hopps! My Office Now!" The Chief bellowed from railing overlooking the busy lobby of Precinct One. Bogo was stressed. Three suspects had just escaped holding, and one officer was dead. An investigation was currently going on down there to determine how it happened. But right now, Bogo had to deal with something he looked forward to even less. 

"Hopps," Bogo said as he removed his glasses and gently massaged the bridge of his nose, his voice betraying how tired he was. "How many times are we going to have this conversation?"

Bogo listened as Judy spoke. Making excuses and spinning theories. Struggling to stay calm, Bogo took a few deep breaths before saying, "It was a tragedy. But Nick Wilde is dead! You watched him die. You saw his body. This fox, the one you are so obsessed with, is not your partner," the buffalo said in a forced calm.

"Sir, I'm not crazy. I am still able to do my job." Judy said

"Hopps, listen to yourself. You are saying some random fox is really you think your partner, who you witnessed die.

"Sir, I'm fine," Judy weakly protested,

"No, Hopps, you're not," Bogo said reluctantly. "I'm sorry, Hopps. You are an excellent cop. But until you deal with this thing with Wilde, I can't have you out on the streets. Please turn in your badge."

-

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Anthony was on edge. The break out of the two Rosso Brothers had been a success. After escaping from the cellblock, getting out through the fire doors leading to the garage and to a waiting ride was easy. 

Drip. Drip. Drip.

But Anthony had other worries. As he sat oat the table waiting for members of the Omni to arrive for their first negotiation, his thoughts drifted to the fox standing behind him. Sal had not only disobeyed, but he also challenged Anthony's authority. 

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Anthony could feel the tension between him and Sal. Something that never existed before that bunny got involved. Without turning around, Anthony asked, "Why so nervous?" Startling Sal and almost causing him to drop the weapon, he was hiding just out of sight. 

"Something just feels wrong," Sal answered "Like we shouldn't be here,"

"You think they are going to double-cross us? Or just not offered a good deal?" Anthony asked. 

Shaking his head, Sal continued, "I don't know. I just know that being here feels wrong."

-

Walking out of Precinct One, Judy was struggling to keep it all together. She was emotionally exhausted from the day's events. Aimlessly she turned towards Downtown and started to walk. Judy didn't have a plan or a destination in mind. All she knew for sure was if she stopped, she wouldn't be able to contain the tears threatening to breakthrough. 

As she walked, she thought about Nick and Sal. The similarities were uncanny. But the differences were there too. But something inside her was sure of it Sal was Nick. Why he wouldn't admit it, she didn't know. But Judy had never been more sure of anything in her life except for her dream of being a cop. 

The more she thought about it, the more she was convinced, Nick was undercover. Not with the ZPD, but maybe working with another agency. It would have made sense for them to recruit him if they wanted to infiltrate a gang made up primarily of foxes. She wasn't sure why he wouldn't tell her, but it made sense. They could have set up the break-in at the college and made sure the fingerprint and DNA matched during the autopsy. 

But if Nick was on a long term undercover assignment, he would need someone he could trust to handle things in his absence. As the idea formed in her head, Judy was disappointed that she wasn't the one he picked, but at the same time, it made sense with how visible she was. There was only one other mammal Nick trusted enough to handle his business. That mammal's broken down van was usually parked not far from where she was. 

With a new jump in her step, Judy hurried to each of Finnick's known parking places. Finally, on the third try, she saw the ugly brown van she had been hunting for. She knocked on the door and waited patiently for the gruff voice from inside, yell out, "Who is it?"

Throwing open the door, the grumpy fennec fox stood with his trusty baseball bat at the ready. When he saw Judy, he sighed and lowered the weapon. "What do you want, rabbit?" He asked in a gruff and annoyed tone as he turned back into his van.

"Hey Fin," Judy said, "Long time no talk, How have you been?" She asked a note of concern in her voice. Finn was thinner than before and had dark circles under his eyes. Most of all, he reeked of alcohol.

Judy stepped back a look of concern on her face. "Are you ok?" She asked.

"Like you really care," Finnick said as he dug around in a cooler looking for something to drink. 

Judy stepped closer. "I do care. I'm your friend." She said as she reached out to place a paw on his arm.

"I don't need a friend," the inebriated fox barked angrily as he swatted her paw away. "I had a friend until he met you." Judy took a step back, surprised by Finnick's statement. Seeing the hurt look on Judy's face, Finnick sighed. "I'm sorry, rabbit." He said with a frown. "Things have just been tough for a while. Hustles just been a little less profitable of late. It's like with Nick gone, I lost my mojo."

"Do you need help? I can give you a few bucks…” Judy said as she reached for her purse.

With the anger returning to his voice Finnick snapped at Judy. "I don't need your charity. I've taken care of myself my entire life, and I don't plan on changing that now."

For a few moments, the two sat silently as Finn took a few more sips of his beer. Finally, Judy worked up the courage to ask. "Before Nick left, did he tell you anything or asks you to watch over anything for him?" Judy crossed her fingers, hoping her hunch would prove correct. 

Taking another smaller sip of his beer, Finn stared at Judy, his eyes were empty like the poor fox had been hallowed out. "Sorry, rabbit. If he didn't give you a ring before he left, he didn't leave it with me." Finn took another drink before laughing at his own joke. 

"I'm being serious here," Judy protested. "I was curious if he left you anything. Like he knew he was going to be going away."

With his beer now empty, Finn stood chucking the can at a nearby dumpster. Getting up from his spot, he returned to the cooler only to find it empty. "Damn," He said as he sat back down, having failed at getting another drink. 

"Look, Officer Toots. Unless you're here to arrest me, I'm done talking. I'm out of beer, and I've seen what happens to foxes that spend too much time around you."

"Finn, please," Judy said, her eyes filling with tears. "I have to know." 

Closing one door, Finn paused to look at Judy. "If you have any questions for Nick, ask him yourself." He slurred.

Astonished by Finn's slip up, Judy's eyes went wide. "You know where he is?"

Closing his eyes and shaking his head Finn finally relented and said, "Yes,"

"Finn, where? Will you take me to him?"

"Do I look ok to drive to you?" The fennec fox said sarcastically. 

Agreeing with Finn's assessment of the situation, Judy stuck out her paw. "I'll drive."

Looking at Judy, Finnick's face twisted into one of confusion before a massive smile took Its place." HA!" He laughed. "You think I would let you drive my van? No-one drives my van but me."

Placing her paws on her hips, Judy was annoyed. "Fine, so we walk then?"

"There is no we rabbit. I have no plans to head out to Happytown tonight. Call a cab, and I'll tell them where to go."

Frowning, Judy looked at the smaller fox, confused by his actions. "You aren't going to come with me?" She asked, a bit nervous and disappointed by Finn's decision.

"Don't take this the wrong way rabbit, I don't want to see that fox any more than I want to keep talking to you. So, take it or leave it, but I need to find something to drink."

With Finn back in his van digging for a bottle of anything, Judy pulled out her phone and opened up the Zuber app. "What's the address?" She asked as she looked into the van. 

Grumbling something Judy couldn't make out, Finnick walked to the back of his van, took Judy's phone, and entered the address. Handing the phone back to the bunny, he caught her gaze. For a second, the two locked eyes and Judy could see the pain and emptiness, like everything that mattered to him, was gone. 

"Finn," Judy said with compassion in her voice. Opening up her purse, she dug for her wallet and the few bills she had inside. "Are you sure you don't need anything? Let me buy you dinner." She said as she held out her paw with a few bills in it. 

Angrily, Fin grimaced as he looked at Judy. "I said I don't need no charity." He said, his voice dripping with venom.

"It isn't charity. It's payment for the information." Judy said as she pushed the money towards the emancipated fox. 

Not saying anything, Finn reached out and snatched the money from her paw, counting it quickly before stuffing it into his pocket.

Moments later, Judy's phone beeped, letting her know that her ride was arriving. As she got into the car, she looked back at the fox. "Use it for food." She called out to the fox, still worried about him. 

"Make me," He called back, before hopping into the back of his van and shutting the doors. 

Closing her own door, Judy took a deep breath. She continued to watch the van as her Huber pulled away. Judy wasn't sure how but she knew that once she found Nick, they would have to find a way to help the fennec fox.

The car ride was silent as the Zuber driver drove out of the city center and towards Happytown. Just like on her trip with Nadine a few weeks ago, Just watched as the brightly lit and well-maintained city center disappeared. The dilapidated and neglected building of Happytown came into view. 

Pulling to a stop, Judy looked out her window to see a small gothic church with an even smaller house next to it. Like every building in Happytown, it looked broken down and neglected. But for a reason, Judy couldn't place it also looked familiar. _Nick must have brought me here before,_ she thought to herself. _It’s probably why he is using it as a hideout._

Stepping out of the Zuber, Judy looked down the street, before saying to herself, "Ok Nick. Here I come."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw a lot of great theories last week. Even a few that were almost correct. But, a few questions still remain unanswered. I promise, after Judy's talk with Nick in next week's chapter, one big question will be answered, but a new question of why will leave you scratching your heads. 
> 
> As always I love to see your reviews, thoughts, and any other comments you want to share. So please comment!


	9. Friends and Enemies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judy is forced to deal with Nick's death, while Sal is told some things about his past he didn't want to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a tough one.

It was dark by the time Judy was standing alone outside the small house. Taking a deep breath, she scanned the house's outsides for any signs of someone living inside. But the house was dark and appeared to be vacant.

Walking up the old worn steps, the house seemed familiar. Judy wasn't sure if she had been here for work or if Nick had brought her here, but something about the place made her feel as if she had been there before.

Raising her paw, she knocked on the door. Unsurprisingly, no one answered. Even if Nick was living there, no lights were on, indicating no one was home or awake. Reaching for the door handle, she was pleasantly surprised to find it unlocked. Pushing the door open, she let her self in. 

Walking in, Judy looked around, hoping to see signs that the fox was living there. Some clothing with his scent on a chair or an empty pizza box or two. Instead, she was greeted with the musty smell of what was a long-ago abandoned house. There were holes in the floor where the wood had rotted away. She saw the drywall ripped down off the walls where someone had stolen the copper pipes. 

Carefully, Judy searched the house. If Nick was in-fact, hiding out here, he might have left it looking so bad to dissuade anyone from looking for him. But in each room, Judy found more of the same. Nothing but decay and no sign of anyone having been there for a long time. It wasn't long before it was clear that Nick wasn't there. 

Sighing, Judy came to the obvious conclusion. Finnick hustled her. Nick wasn't here, he just sent her here to get rid of her. Turning, Judy looked out the window. Her heart sank as she realized both why Finnick sent her and why the small house was so familiar. There, behind the church, next door was a small cemetery. It was in that cemetery that Nick was buried in a grave next to his father. 

Slowly, Judy walked down the old broken steps and towards the churchyard. Judy walked past the other tombstones in a daze. Mindlessly, she headed to a spot that she had only been to once before, but will forever be burned into her memory. 

Hesitantly, she approached her best friend's grave, each step heavier than the last. Stopping next to the headstone, Judy read the simple inscription his mother had selected for him. 

_Nick Wilde_

_Son, Friend, Officer_

Judy stood there for a second staring at the stone. Finally, she worked up the courage to say something. "Hey." She said, not expecting an answer but still pausing as if he might. "How have things been, Slick?" Judy asked as she knelt down and rested a paw on Nick's headstone. It felt weird to talk to him like he was alive, but she didn't know any other way to do it. "I know I said I would visit more, but I've been busy." Judy shook her head. "That's not true. Of course, you probably knew that. I just couldn't bring myself to visit. It made it too real."

Carefully, she ran her paw along the headstone, its cold, smooth surface, a poor substitute for her fox's warm and soft fur. Tears began to form in the corner of her eyes as she tried to control her emotions. "Things have been tough without you, Slick. Work isn't the same. Bogo says I'm too reckless now. Maybe he's right."

Pausing, Judy stared at the carving of Nick's name, almost afraid to admit what happened next. "I lost my badge today," she said quietly. "A couple of weeks ago, I arrested this fox," Reaching up to wipe a tear from her cheek, Judy chuckled. "Don't worry, he could never replace you. But, for a while, I was pretty sure he was you." Judy paused as her tears now fell freely down her face. "or at least I wanted him to be. I was convinced it was you undercover."

Leaning forward, Judy rested her head against the headstone. "I know it sounds dumb. You are probably laughing at me where ever you are, but I was desperate. I miss you so much." Judy paused, closing her eyes as the tears fell from her cheeks onto the headstone. 

Without picking her head up, she continued. "I know I'm being emotional. But I have to tell you something. It' something I wish I would have told you when you were alive." Judy paused as she gathered the strength to admit her feelings. "I," She started before getting a bit choked up. Trying again, she said, "Nick, I love you. Not a friend. I really love you. But I was dumb and so afraid of losing what we had, or you not loving me back. I never said anything."

Laying against Nick's headstone, Judy continued to cry and mourn for Nick. "I can hear you now. Telling me, I'm too emotional. Just like under the bridge before we took down Bellweather. What I wouldn't give to have you wrap me in your arms one more time…” 

Judy continued to cry as she let out a year's worth of pent up frustration and emotion. Then, suddenly from a distance, she heard a small sound, and the words, "I'm sorry, Judy," whisper on the wind. 

Picking her head up, she searched until she located the last mammal she expected to see.

**Earlier,**

Seated at the bar of the fox's den, an annoyed Sal was quietly listening to his brother. Geno was admonishing Sal, unhappy about what he saw transpire when they broke out of Precinct One. 

"It didn't look like nothing," Geno said, referring to the look and the moment Sal shared with Judy. "You're a fox. Don't forget who takes care of you,"

"I know, I know," Sal said as he brushed off the trite bit of advice he received. It was a common mantra among members of the Skulk. Even though foxes were traditionally solitary animals, the sense of community was strong. 

Watching Sal closely, Geno sipped his beer. He could see on his brother's face that something was still on his mind. "You really that worked up about that doe?" Geno asked, his demeanor softening slightly. "You two really connected that much?"

Sal looked away, he wasn't ready to tell his brother about how he felt about Judy. Plus, there was something else on his mind tonight. "Hey," Sal said hesitantly. "I want you to tell me what happened. How did I get hurt?"

Frowning Geno glanced quickly at Anthony before focusing back on Sal. Something that didn't go unnoticed by the other fox. "Come on, man, you know what the doctor said. We aren't supposed to tell you. You need to remember it yourself."

"I guess if you won't tell me, there is only one other mammal to ask," Sal said as he picked up his beer and finishing the last bit set the mug on the bar. "I'm done waiting," Sal said as he rose from his seat at the bar and made his way towards Anthony.

Seeing his Sal go caused Geno to panic. "Hey, come on. There is no reason to bother the boss." Geno said, trying to grab ahold of Sal's arm and stop him.

But Sal was determined. He quickly pulled from Geno's grip, and without turning to look at him, Sal said, "I am finding out tonight."

Anthony was seated not far from where Sal and Geno previously sat. At the table with the white fox were two red, well built, the young vixen who held his undivided attention. Approaching Anthony from behind, Sal said, "Anthony, I need to know."

Sal continued around the table to face Anthony as the white fox took a sip of his bourbon before placing the glass on the table. "Sal, why don't you join us. I'm sure the ladies and I could make room for one more." He said with a wicked smile as the two vixens looked him up and down before starting at him lustfully. 

Standing there, Sal ignored the invitation, even as one of the vixen's reached out and pet his arm in an attempt to claim him for herself. Anthony put on a mock frown. "Brother, whatever ails you, I am sure these two can solve it," Anthony said, his wicked grin firmly in place.

“Anthony," Sal said, "I need to know what happened. I need to know how you ended up white and how I ended up hurt."

Still smiling, Anthony answered. "You know the story. I was getting attacked, and you stepped in. The fox I am today is because of you." The two vixens looked at Anthony unused to the dominant fox ever admitting to a weakness. "It's true, ladies. If not for Sal here, I might not even be alive, let alone in charge." Motioning to the two vixen's they both moved to where Sal was standing pressing themselves against him as their hand began to explore his chest.

"Is that true?" One of them asked.

The other with a sultry tone to her voice, moved closer almost whispering in Sal's ear. "It sounds like you deserve a reward." She said, her paw drifting lower.

Stepping forward and away from the two vixens, Sal continued to focus on Anthony. "Not good enough. I need the whole story. How did I make you the fox you are? I'm tired of not remembering."

For the first time since Sal made his way to Anthony, the smile left Anthony's face. He turned and glanced at Geno before he waved his hand and said, "Ladies leave us for a bit."

Pouting, the two vixens left, and Sal pulled out a chair sitting opposite Anthony. Nearby Geno sat listening in on the conversation. "Ok, brother. Why do you want to know this now? Did you remember something? Or is it that rabbit doe? I know she was talking to you. Did she plant something in your brain?"

"Maybe," Sal said, his voice a little more authoritative than Anthony was used to. "For now, let's just say I'm tired of not knowing. 

"Ok," Anthony said as he took another sip of his drink. "It was back when Enzo was in charge. I don't think you remember him. But he was different. He didn't understand the Skulk's job. He didn't care about the community. He didn't care about all of our family out there with empty bellies being treated like dirt. All Enzo cared about was money and power. Your sacrifice is what gave me the strength to overthrow him." Anthony looked off to the distance as if remembering a pleasant moment from his past. "I will never forget the feeling of his heart in my paw. As it slowly stopped beating."

A slight grimace crossed Sal's face at the gruesome image, but it disappeared as quickly as it arrived as Sal kept his face still, hiding his feelings behind a mask.

"But that's another story," Anthony said with a devious smile. "It happened about a year ago when Enzo had sent me on a job. I was supposed to, ahem liberate some chemicals and lab equipment. Enzo wanted to start making nip."

"Nip?" Sal said, surprised. "I thought the Skulk had a strict no drug policy because of what it could do to the community. 

Anthony's eyes narrowed as he leaned forward in his chair. "We do. Now." Leaning back and taking a deep breath, Anthony relaxed. "But back then, he was the boss. I had just snuck into the lab at Zootopia University. I was looking around the lab when I was attacked by two members of the ZPD. I struggled to defend myself."

"Attacked? Defend yourself? Clawing a bunny in the back is defending yourself?" Sal asked. 

Not blinking, Anthony stared at Sal with a cold stare. "Sal, do you already know the story?" 

"I might have heard some of it, yes," Sal said, practically spitting the words. 

"Then I guess I don't need to tell you about the fight," Anthony said, raising his voice as he began to get angry. "If you already know about how I was thrown into that wall, I felt my fur burn off me before my skin began to melt." Anthony slammed a paw on the table, pulling attention to him from across the bar. "How I still tried to fight, despite my injuries because no member of the Skulk should ever give up. Not when so many depend on us.

Anthony stood from his chair. "Did you little bunny bitch tell you about how she smiled as I lay there in agony? Did she tell you about how he stood over me gloating? At that moment, I knew that the fox, the so-called Hero of Happytown, was a traitor," Anthony yelled. "How could he do that to his own kind? It's just like I said, He abandoned us. Leaving his own kind to die while he smiled back at some rabbit. He deserved the bat to the face."

Sal stepped back, starting to worry about the situation he had gotten himself into as Anthony continued. "That traitor, left me white, a freak. But it left me stronger. It's why I took over the Skulk, it's why I am saving Happytown. I'm what he wasn't, what he didn't want to be. I'm the real hero of Happytown. The only good thing he did was create me. 

"You said I helped create you…” Sal said his voice hoarse.

Pointing at Sal Anthony said, "You did Sal, That's why I always bring you with me. You helped me. You made it possible for me to become what I had to be."

"You mean, I'm," Sal paused, not sure he believed it. It wasn't possible. 

"You mean, I'm Nick Wilde?" Sal said in astonishment.

Anthony looked at him for a second. Before he laughed, a deep, hearty laugh that caught many in the room who had just witnessed the anger of the white fox off guard. 

"Sal," Anthony said, "You aren't Nick Wilde. You are the one who swung the bat."

Staggering backward, Sal felt dizzy. "I swung the bat?" He said as Geno reached for Sal to keep him from hitting the floor. "I killed Nick?"

"I'm sorry, Sal, but it's the truth!" Anthony said as he continued to laugh as the red fox stumbled. "How do you think your bunny is going to feel knowing that her new friend killed her partner? Something tells me those quaint little talks are over. But don't worry about it. You're a hero! If it wasn't for that pipe falling on you, it would have been the perfect day for you, Slugger.

"No, it's not true," Sal said as he pulled away from Geno's grasp. "I have to get out of here." Pushing through the crowd of stunned onlookers, Sal made his way to the door, even as Anthony yelled, "A toast to my hero. Sal!"

Outside, Sal felt the cold night air hitting his face as he ran. Tears filled his eyes as he pushed himself to get as much distance from the bar as possible. Finally stopping, after running about four blocks, Sal leaned up against a building as he tried to catch his breath. But instead of calming down, Sal felt his stomach turn as he fell to his knees and vomited. 

It was a few minutes before Sal was able to stand. Still breathing hard, he again leaned against the structure. The acidic taste still on his palate. It was then he heard a soft crying not far away. Looking around the edge of the building, Sal was shocked to see Judy lying on a gravestone. 

Instantly Sal felt sick again as he realized whose grave she must be kneeling on. He didn't know why he was watching her. She was probably the last mammal in all of Zootopia he wanted to see right now, but there she was. Watching her cry, Sal's heart once again went out to the doe, wishing there was anything he could do to help her, to make her feel better. But he knew. She was crying because of him.

Quietly, he said, "I'm sorry, Judy."

Unfortunately for Sal, he forgot how much better a bunny's hearing was than his. As the words left his lips, he saw her ears perk up, and she almost instantly saw him. 

Looking up from where she knelt, Judy was surprised to see Sal standing not far away. "Sal?" She said, unsure if he was real or an apparition created by her grief. "Why are you here?"

Silently Sal cursed the dumb luck that caused him to run to the exact place Judy was. "I was just out for a walk, and heard you crying," Sal lied.

Wiping her eyes, Judy watched Sal, almost expecting him to disappear and confirm she was losing her mind. "You shouldn't be out. If you're seen, you can be arrested." Judy said quietly before looking back towards Nick's tombstone. 

"Are you going to arrest me?" Sal asked in a more jovial tone, one that instantly felt out of place."

Not looking up, Judy shook her head to the negative. "I'm not a cop anymore." She said quietly.

Astonished at the news, Sal's eyes went wide, "WHAT?" He asked.

"The chief decided I was unfit," Judy mumbled. 

Sal's astonishment was quickly replaced with anger. "That stupid egotistical…” He started to say as his anger at the buffalo grew. But Judy stopped him.

"He was right," she said as she closed her eyes. "I'm not. I don't know what I'm doing anymore. I was so sure. There wasn't a doubt in my mind you were him. But you're not."

"Judy, I'm sorry," Sal said as the familiar feelings for the rabbit returned. 

Closing her eyes tighter, Judy shook her head. "Don't do that. Don't apologize for not being someone else."

Kneeling next to Judy, Sal hesitated before putting his paw on her shoulder. Judy didn't pull away. Instead, she leaned towards him, looking to him for comfort. Carefully he let his paw creep around her shoulders as he pulled her towards him. In his mind, Sal was telling himself he was doing this for her. Just trying to comfort the distressed doe. But he knew the truth. He longed to hold her. To feel her in his arms. 

For a moment the two sat, Judy wrapped up in Sal's arms. She nuzzled into the fur on his neck, breathing in his scent, which was so much like Nick's. Slowly, her tears abated. "I remember," she said, breaking the silence. "I was at the Carrots Day festival with Nick. It was late, and we were getting cold, but we were also determined to see the stars. Nick had never seen them without the city lights. So we sat like this keeping each other warm."

Judy smiled at the memory, as guilt flooded Sal's heart and mind. Holding her tighter for a second Sal's heart broke. Letting go of her Sal stood and stepped away. "Judy, I need to tell you something," He said quietly.

Annoyed at the loss of contact, Judy also stood, looking at the fox quizzically, waiting for whatever he had to confess.

"I learned something about my past and why I can't remember how I got hurt." Judy looked at him patiently, waiting for Sal to say whatever he felt the need to share with her. "Judy, it was me."

Confused, Judy took a step back from Sal, unsure of what he was confessing too.

"I swung the bat."

A look of horror stretched across Judy's features. "You?" She asked, not believing what she was hearing. "What are you trying to say?" Judy asked, afraid of the answer. 

"I killed him. I killed Nick Wilde.” 

"No," Judy said, shaking her head as the rest of her stood frozen. "It's not possible."

"Anthony, the white fox who broke me out, told me." Stepping toward her Sal put out a paw hoping she would take it. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to lie to you. I really don't remember doing it."

Grabbing her head, Judy just repeated, "No, no, no, no. Not you. Anyone but you."

"Judy," Sal said, taking another step in her direction. "I couldn't keep it from you. I feel.." But Judy was done listening.

"NO!" She said again this time, pushing him with all of her might, causing Sal to stumble away from her.

Sal looked up and saw the tears in Judy's eyes as she took a few steps in his direction. "Why? Why are you telling me this? Do you just want to hurt me again?"

"I'm sorry," Sal tried to say again, but he wasn't given a chance as Judy lunged towards him.

"You're sorry? Do you know what you took from me?" She screamed as her paws connected to his midsection, again pushing him back until he tripped falling on the ground. 

"I.." Sal started, but Judy wasn't finished. 

"I loved him!" Judy yelled as she pounced on the larger predator.

Landing on his lap, Judy swung with all of her might. Sal tried to defend himself as Judy repeatedly punched, unleashing her anger into each blow as they connected with his face neck and shoulders. "He meant everything to me, and you just took it away. You took him from me!" She yelled as she continued her attack.

Raising his paws, Sal attempted to protect his face and to push the rabbit off of him. "I'm sorry, I wish I didn't do it, but.." Sal was cut off as Judy's fist connected again.

"I don't care!" Judy yelled as her attack continued as she tried to rake her tiny claws across Sal's eyes. "I don't care what you wish. I don't care that you've changed!

"Judy, Please," Sal said as he finally pushed the smaller rabbit off him and stumbled to his feet.

Hopping up, Judy readied herself for another attack. "You're a monster. You don't deserve to be walking free." Dashing to Sal's right, Judy seemed to disappear as his injured eye wasn't able to track her. 

Even knowing the impact was coming, Sal wasn't prepared for how hard the bunny could hit. As her hind paw connected with his jaw, sending him instantly to the ground. Pulling himself on to his knees, Sal never saw Judy's next attack as her second kick connected with his side knocking the air from his lungs.

Holding his now tender ribs, Sal pulled himself back to his knees. But just as quickly as last time, Judy swung, connecting with the side of his head. Over and over, she hit him, never once did Sal attempt to retaliate. "Fight back," Judy said through her tears.

Spitting the blood on the ground, Sal climbed to his knees and rocked back, staring at Judy. "No," 

"Fight back!" She yelled as she swung again, hitting him in the face. 

Catching himself before he hit the ground Sal spit out more blood before he pulled himself back to his knees. "No," He managed to say again. 

"Do it!" Judy yelled. "Show me that killer. Show me the monster that bashed my best friends head in with a bat," Judy screamed as she went to hit him again. 

But as Judy swung, Sal caught the wild punch and pulled her towards him. Wrapping his arms around her again as he held her with her back to him. "Let go of me!" She yelled as she fought against the very arms that she had found some solace in only moments before. 

"No," an exhausted and hurt Sal said. "Listen to me. I'm sorry."

"I don't want your apology!" She yelled as she continued to fight. Breathing in, Judy was hit with the fox's strong scent. It was so much like Nick's it distracted her for a moment, causing her to stop fighting.

"I'm sorry. I don't remember doing it, and if there was any way I could bring him back, I would. I've been sick ever since I found out. But I've changed. The fox who could hurt someone like that isn't me anymore. 

"I don't care. I don't care that you changed. I hate you. I hate you." Judy repeated, hurting Sal more than any punch could.

For a few minutes, the two sat in relative silence. The only sounds were Sal's breathing and Judy's crying. 

Finally, catching his breath, Sal tried again. "I'm sorry, Carrots," he said, triggering another wave of anger from the bunny. 

"Don't you call me that! You don't get to call me that", She yelled as she leaned her head forward before throwing her head back as hard as she could connecting with Sal's nose. Instantly it seemed to explode in a fountain of blood. 

As Sal reached for his bleeding nose, Judy slipped from his grasp. Rolling away from the injured fox. Jumping back to her feet, Judy turned to prepare for another attack. As she balled her paws into fists, she noticed the wet sticky feeling on her fur. Looking down, she was horrified to see both paws covered in Sal's blood. 

At the same time, Sal staggered back to his feet. "Go ahead. I deserve it," Sal said as he swayed in place.

Judy stood there for a minute, her paws shaking as her eyes filled with tears. "No, I'm not like you. I'm not a killer. Pulling out her phone, Judy dialed the ZPD. "I might not be a cop anymore, but you are still going to jail."

Judy heard the phone ring, but before anyone could answer, a truck pulled up in front of the church. Out of the truck jumped Geno and two other foxes. Judy froze as she saw the other three predators. 

"Hey!" One of them called out to Judy.

Thinking quickly, Judy darted off, back towards the abandoned house. Fortunately for her, no-one followed. She watched as the three foxes took Sal and loaded him into the truck. Leaving her alone in the dark.

-

Across Zootopia, at Precinct One, James Wolford was trying to get through the backlog of paperwork that had been weighing down his desk. Tasked with not only his regular caseload but also that of the recently suspended Judy Hopps, meant Wolford was falling behind. 

"You have got to be kidding me," He said to himself before grabbing a few files and rushing upstairs to Chief Bogo's office. Not bothering to knock, he pushed the door open, disturbing the sour buffalo from his own paperwork. 

"What is it, Officer? Do you have some need to be on parking duty? I can't think of another reason for you to be barging into my office right now," Bogo said, the anger at the interruption heavy in his voice. 

"Sir, I, well look," Wolford said, placing the three file folders on the Chief's desk, obscuring what he was looking on. 

Sighing, Bogo picked up the files. "What am I looking at?" He asked, annoyed. 

"Those are the case files from the iCarrot heist a week ago," Wolford said. 

"And why do I care?" Bogo asked as he watched the canine Officer across his desk. 

"Look here, you can clearly see the names of the two foxes Judy and Nadine arrested. But go to their files in the computer," Wolford said as he waited for the Chief to do as he requested.

Turning from the excited canine, Bogo typed each name into the computer only to be faced with empty files. 

"You see?" Wolford said. "The paper copies have the information, but the digital has been deleted."

"Are you sure it was entered?" Bogo asked, his voiceless annoyed and now betraying a worry that the ZPD might be compromised. 

"Yes sir, Hopps still had paper copies on her desk," Wolford said, handing an additional couple of folders over to Bogo. 

Frowning the buffalo confirmed the difference. "Someone deleted this," Bogo said. "Do you have any idea of who?" 

"I do, sir, but first, I need you to cross-reference the files with the storage server."

Bogo looked at James, his face confused. "Why? All that's on that is inactive files."

"Please just do it," Wolford said. 

Relenting Bogo did as was requested. There were no hits on Geno Rosso. Looking quizzically at Wolford, Bogo redid the search, this time for Sal. 

"Impossible," Bogo said as the screen displayed one result. 

_Matching paw print - Officer Nick Wilde._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure some of you saw what was coming. But I Hope I shocked a few of you for at least a little bit.
> 
> Also anyone know why Anthony said what he did?


	10. The Next Day.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bogo tries to wrap his head around Nick being alive, while Sal wakes up in a strange place with a strange vixen.

A look of unexpected astonishment sat plastered on Bogo's face. "How is this possible?" He asked as he pulled his eyes from the screen and turned to look at officer Wolford. "This has to be some sort of mistake. We checked the body."

"Sir, I know it seems impossible, but look at the two prints," Wolford said as he pointed to the screen. They match."

Bogo sat quietly, just staring at the screen. The idea that they had not only misidentified an injured officer, but they buried a stranger in his place. "If Wilde is alive, then who's in that box?" Bogo asked as he continued to try and wrap his head around what he was seeing. 

"I don't know," Wolford answered. "But according to this, it isn't Nick,"

Standing from his desk, Bogo began to pace. "No, this has to be a mistake," he said defiantly. Bogo thought back to the day, and the mangled partially burned remains of what he thought was his first fox officer. "Hopps witnessed him go down. We tested the corpse. Both prints and the DNA matched."

"I may be able to answer that. But you're not going to like it." Wolford said a bit hesitant of the Chief's reaction.

Frowning, Bogo looked at the wolf in front of him. "You just told me one of my officers, who we thought was dead, is both alive and now a member of a gang that is about to start a war down in Happytown. What part of this do you think I would like?"

"Nick isn't a traitor," Wolford said aggressively in defense of his friend. "He doesn't know who he was."

"What?" Bogo asked.

"He doesn't know he's Nick Wilde. I don't know what might have happened. It could be amnesia, voodoo, or something else. But that fox truly believes he's Sal Rosso. Nadine and I interviewed him for over an hour. He never slipped once. But what's more, is in all the time he spent with Judy, he never slipped."

Sternly Bogo sat there. He still couldn't believe that the ZPD could make that type of mistake. "Wilde was excellent at keeping his emotions in check. It was one of the things that made him a great officer. If, and that's a big if that fox is actually Wilde, he cold fake it."

Smirking, Wolford continued. "Maybe to you or I, Sir. But you know how Wilde and Hopps were. Do you really think with how much she was obviously hurting, he would have been able to stand by and do nothing?"

Letting out a massive sigh, Bogo shook his head, knowing the smaller wolf was correct. "Is there any chance it is a mistake? I mean, a lot would have had to happen to cover all this up." 

"Anything's possible, Chief. But I don't think this is a mistake. I actually think I know what happened. Nick wasn't compromised. But someone here was."

With his head resting on his hoove, Bogo looked a the wolf. "Let me understand this. You believe someone, who works at the ZPD has been purposely keeping this a secret."

"Yes sir," Wolford said confidently. 

"Do you have any leads? Any idea who this might be?" Bogo asked as he sat back at his desk and rubbed his temples. 

"Yes, but let me start from the beginning. What we know for sure is someone, cleaned the files after the Rosso brothers' arrest. Every note Nadine or I wrote on the paper copy is missing from the digital and the record of the crime itself. This is what lead me to look deeper into the files."

Bogo crossed his arms as he leaned back in his chair. "And you are confident this wasn't just information entered poorly. That, someone, didn't just remember to hit save?"

"Sir, first, we have an autosave that runs every five minutes, and second, I found the same thing happening to three other known associates of the Skulk gang." Wolford handed Bogo a slip of paper with the names of the other three foxes. Looking them up, Bogo was once again greeted with a blank screen".

Wolford stood from his chair, approaching the Chief's desk. Then there is this file. Wolford handed over the file for Anthony Moretti. Mr. Moretti was arrested this morning. None of his information has been touched. This means our bad cop hasn't gotten to it yet, OR he isn't around anymore. My gut says the latter."

Bogo nodded as he continued to listen. "a little under two weeks ago, Marc Stafford disappeared. He stopped coming to work, and his family declared him missing. As part of the investigation, Delgato looked into his bank records, and for several large deposits. But the most important part is he pulled out all of the money this morning.

"Do you think he's running? Bogo asked.

No sir. One of the reasons that Delgato was looking into Stafford was we found parts of his around Happytown today. According to forensics, he's been dead over a week."

Bogo sat silently, staring at the wolf. Bogo's standard grimace became somehow turned even sourer. "How does this tie into what happened to Wilde.

"I think Stafford manipulated the tests to fool us." 

Turning his head slowly, Bogo continued to struggle with the news he was being given. "OK, assuming everything you are saying is true. How does it tie into Wilde's death? How could he an IT guy have changed the lab tests? He has no access to the lab?" Bogo asked. 

Wolford looked at his boss. "It would be kit's play for him to change the reports, Sir. All DNA testing is done by number to keep it anonymous. All he had to do was change a yes to a no on the right report. Same with the paw prints. All he had to do was interfere with the search, so whatever print we searched came up as Nick."

Bogo shook his head. All of this was just too much. 

"We were all grieving Sir. It wouldn't take much for Marc to slip something like this by us."

"But the only mammal who could tell us for sure id dead." Suddenly a worried look crossed Bogo's face. "You don't think Wilde…" Bogo started to say.

"No," Wolford quickly corrected. "He was locked up downstairs when this happened. I think their boss, Anthony Moretti, did it or at least ordered it done."

Still working and trying to grasp the seriousness of what was in front of him, Bogo stared silently at the screen that still listed Nick's name.

"Sir?" Wolford asked a bit concerned for suddenly speechless buffalo. 

For a few more seconds, Bogo remained speechless, before he finally said, "We need to find Sal Rosso. If he is Nick Wilde, I want him brought in. We have to make this right."

"What if he doesn't believe us or doesn't want to be brought in," Wolford asked. 

Bogo smiled. "If he is Nick Wilde, we know his weakness."

"You mean," Wolford began to ask. 

"Yes," Bogo said. "Find Judy Hopps."  
-

The next morning, someplace in Happytown, Sal awoke in a strange room but, more importantly, in a ton of pain. He grimaced as he sat up, grabbing at his side as his bruised ribs cried out in pain curtesy of one very angry bunny. "Can't say I didn't deserve it," He mumbled to himself as he gingerly ran his paws along with the injury, and thinking about what transpired to cause her to fight him.

As the sleep cleared from his head, Sal looked around, trying to figure out where he was. He remembered finding out the truth about his past and the beating he suffered at the paws of Judy Hopps. But Sal didn't remember much after that leaving his current whereabouts in question. 

Looking around the room, Sal didn't see much. It was sparsely furnished with just the bed and a small dresser on which laid a clean shirt and pants along with Sal's other belongings. There was nothing on the walls, but a dull grey paint and one window with the blinds tightly pulled shut.

He wasn't in the hospital or jail, even though he kind of felt like he deserved to be. He was a murderer. But to make matters worse, he didn't kill a gangster, and it wasn't in self-defense. He murdered a cop. The first fox cop. The example for foxes everywhere that they could be more than the lowlife thug Sal realized he was. 

Sal shook his head in disappointment as he thought about what he took from his community. It didn't matter that Nick wasn't perfect, as Anthony thrilled in pointing out. He still made it out and could have been a role model for many pups. The story is more important and inspiring than the truth. They could look to him and strive for a way out. But it wasn't to be because Sal, another fox, killed him. 

Groaning, Sal painfully pulled himself from the bed and to his feet. Shuffling, he made his way to the window and pulled back the curtains, revealing a residential street in what he guessed was Happytown. 

Walking over to the dresser, Sal started the laborious chore of getting dressed when almost every muscle in his body protested at the movement. Exiting the room, he found himself in a hallway, and more importantly, a bathroom next door. 

Once he finished using the facilities, Sal tentatively walked down the hall and towards the sounds and smells of someone cooking breakfast. Stepping into a small living room/kitchen area, Sal was surprised to see one of the vixens from the night before. Dressed more casually than the night before, she now wore a simple teeshirt and yoga pants that hugged her thin frame rather well. 

As she continued to move about the kitchen, Sal continued to look at the vixen. He knew she was attractive. Geno would be in love, Sal thought to himself. But for Sal, she was too thin. He preferred a stronger, more athletic women, with grey fur and larger ears… Sal shook his head as his thoughts drifted towards his idea female. There was no chance she would ever talk to him again, not after last night, not after what he had learned, not after what he did.

Oh, hey," The vixen said as a pleasant smile appeared on her face. "I didn't hear you get up. Take a seat. I'll have some breakfast for you in a few minutes." Not questioning, Sal did as he was instructed and poured himself into one of the chairs a soft grown escaping his throat due to the pain. 

"Still hurting? Anthony said, you might be in some pain when you woke up." She said as she placed a plate with a couple of eggs, hash browns, and some bug sausage in front of the tod. Sal looked at her, not saying Anything. "It's OK, you don't have to tell me. I saw part of it at the bar, and from the amount of blood on you when you got here, I'm guessing the rest of the night didn't go well either."

Sal carefully reached down and picked up the fork placed in front of him. He wasn't sure what was exactly going on, or if Anthony was mad at him, which made Sal hesitant. As if sensing his apprehension, the vixen smiled, "Nothing'sNothing's wrong with it. I'm supposed to take care of you, not poison you." She said. "My name is Julie, by the way," she said as she sat down at the table next to him.

"You're Anthony's girl?" Sal asked in a hushed and careful tone. He had no intention of offending Anthony's girlfriend and risking the wrath of the white fox.

Politely the vixen smiled. "No, I only saw Anthony last night. How can I put this, For the right price I'm anyone's girl."

"Oh," Sal said, glancing back to his plate. 

Watching him, the vixen's polite smile morphed into one of offense. "Don't do that. It isn't my first choice of career, but it is my choice. My bills are paid, and I have a pretty nice apartment. I'm not going to have some tod who just got his ass kicked feeling sorry for me. You'd be sleeping off that beating in the street if Anthony didn't pay me to take care of you."

"He paid you?" Sal said, surprised at Anthony's generosity. 

Julie laughed. "Of course. I have a strict no free rides policy, even if you're the only one in the bed." Raising from her seat, Julie went to get herself more coffee. "Before you ask, except for getting off your bloody clothes, we didn't do anything." Looking at Sal, a flirty smile crossed her face. "But if you wanted to make a donation, that could change that." She said with a flirty wink of her eyes.

"Um, no, no," Sal said a bit embarrassed by the offer. 

"You sure, I could probably make you feel even better," She offered again. 

Sal shook his head. "I'm good."

Shrugging her shoulders, Julie sat back down at the table, "Your loss."

"um, Anthony didn't happen to say why he was doing all of this, did he?"

"Sorry," The vixen said. "All I know is you need to stay out of sight. I learned long ago not to ask questions about Anthony or his family."

Taking the last few bites of his breakfast, Sal thought as he chewed. It didn't make sense. Last night Anthony was delighting in Sal's misery. Laughing as the other fox struggled to come to terms with killing Nick Wilde. Anthony helped him lay low, so he could avoid getting arrested again, even if Sal wasn't convinced that wasn't such a bad thing. 

"ah, Julie?" Sal said, hoping had the vixen's name right. "I am going to going. Thank you for everything". Sal raised up from his chair and started to move towards the door. He didn't have much of a plan, but he knew he couldn't spend the day at Julie's apartment. Sal was still wracked with guilt over killing someone, and if he decided to turn himself in, he wanted to say goodbye to Ma and Geno first. 

Suddenly a worried look crossed Julie's face. "Anthony told me to keep you here. You can't go anywhere." She said as she rose from her chair to try and stop Sal from leaving. 

"Look, I appreciate everything you did, but I have things that I need to take care of," Sal said. 

Stepping in front of the larger fox, Julie held up her paws. "Stop," she said, forcefully trying to push the larger tod back and away from the door. 

Sal quickly sidestepped the vixen and walked past her pulling himself from her grasp. "I'm sorry," He said as he slipped from her grip, and she fell to her knees.

With a final effort, Julie looked up to him, begging as she called out, "Please!" In a voice full not of force but of fear. "I don't know what he'll do if you aren't here."

Sal paused. "What do you mean?" He asked, still suspecting some sort of hustle. What will who do?"

"Please just stay," She repeated. "Look, I'll give you a freebie, a couple of freebies. Just please stay."

Turning, Sal kneeled next to the vixen, only now noticing the tears in her eyes. As she looked down, she reached for the hem of her shirt. Reaching out, Sal placed his paw on her's. "You don't need to do that. Just tell me what's going on?"

Looking up at Sal, the fear was apparent in the vixen's eyes. "He said I was replaceable. That's why he brought you here. Because if you got caught or left, no one would miss a whore." She said as the tears fell down her face. 

"Who?" Sal asked as he wrapped the vixen in his arms. 

"Anthony," Julie said quietly as she cried into his chest. 

  
Sal could feel the anger building in his chest. "I'll stay, but I need to make a call," He said as he released the vixen and started to get to his feet. 

Worried, she tried to follow him. But he stopped her by showing her the phone and assuring her he was only calling his brother and fellow member of the Skulk, Geno.

"Thank you," Julie said as she pulled herself to her feet. 

"It's OK," Sal said as he took her in his arms again, comforting the vixen.  
-

  
It was a short time later that Geno arrived at the vixen's apartment. Greeting his brother with a hug, Geno couldn't help but smell the vixen he held earlier on his shirt. 

"Partaking in the amenities?" Geno asked with a sly grin.

Not answering, Sal only scowled as he led the other fox into the apartment. At the same kitchen table that Sal had his breakfast, the two sat to talk. Looking at his brother, a very serious Sal wasted no time. "Why did Anthony put me here, and why am I not supposed to leave?"

"Sal," Geno said with concern in his voice. "Do you remember last night at all? You took off in the middle of the night, and when we found you, you're covered in your own blood. You're here because we were worried about you."

"Then why not just send me to stay with Ma?" Sal asked. 

"Think Sal. That is the first place they will look. Then she could be arrested for taking care of you. She took you in after you lost your memory. Getting her arrested wouldn't be the best way to pay her back. 

Nodding, Sal looked at the table for a few minutes before looking back at Geno." I understand, Sal said as he looked from Geno to where Julie sat looking nervous. "But if you are only looking out for me, then why threaten her?" Sal asked as he gestured towards a distraught looking Julie who was sitting nearby. 

Geno sighed. "that wasn't my idea. But it worked. Anthony was pretty sure you wouldn't risk Julie here getting hurt. You have a good heart Sal, and even Anthony knows it. There was no way you would leave a crying vixen. 

Sal frowned. He didn't like getting played. "So, she was in on your plan?" He said, looking towards Julie, who started to protest before Geno interrupted. 

"No, she told you exactly what Anthony told her. I don't think he would have followed through with it. She's a pretty good piece of tail," Geno said about Julie. 

His voice beginning to raise a visibly, angry Sal responded. "She isn't a thing, and I am not just a tool for Anthony to use."

Holding up his paws, Geno tried to calm his brother. "You got it all wrong. Anthony was trying to protect you. You would be safe here. If you are seen out and about, it could be disastrous for the Skulk and for you." Leaning in so only Sal could here, Geno continued. "I probably shouldn't even be out, but you needed me."

Sitting back in his chair Sal, still unhappy, asked, "When will I be out of house arrest? For my own safety?"

"Only until tomorrow night. I'll level with ya. Besides keeping you safe, Anthony is worried about your affinity for a member of the ZPD might jeopardize his plan to attack the Omni gang." Geno said

Offended Sal shot right back. "I would never turn on the family. You know that. I was only thinking of turning myself in…" Sal said, letting some of his earlier thought escape.

"TURN YOUR SELF IN?" Geno asked, astonished to hear that from his brother. "For what?"

Internally Sal cursed that he let his idea slip in front of Geno, but there was no use in denying it anymore. "Geno, did you forget I killed a cop?" It wasn't in self-defense or Anything. I just killed him because it was easier to escape. The Skulk is supposed to be about helping the people of Happytown. Not hiding murderers. I'm putting everything at risk by being here."

Shaking his head, Geno disagreed. "You aren't a murderer. You saved Anthony. It was a noble killing." 

But Sal wasn't done. "I saved him from what? Being arrested? There weren't hurting him anymore. They only hurt him because Anthony attacked a cop. All I did was help him escape, and all it cost was the first fox cop his life. Anthony's right, he wasn't perfect. But we could have used him to help get our family out of this hell-hole. There is nothing noble about that."

"Come on, Bro. You heard about how he was treated by the ZPD. They probably finished the job if you didn't." Geno said. 

"That's not true," Sal said quietly as painful memories of the previous night flashed through his mind. 

Geno smirked at Sal. "How could you know that? You talked to that bunny? She was probably thrilled to be rid of him."

"She loved him,"

"No, she didn't," Geno said. 

"I could see it in her eyes long before she ever admitted it," Sal said. "Losing him broke her. For that reason alone, I should be in prison."

A concerned frown fell across Geno's face. "Sal, how do you feel about that bunny."

Looking up at his brother, Sal sighed. "I don't know. She hates me. But there is something about her.

Nodding Sal looked at his brother. Just how Sal said he could see the love for Nick in Judy's eyes, and now Geno saw a similar look in Sal's. "Look, Anthony doesn't think…." Geno started before Sal interrupted. 

"What are we always saying?" Sal asked, "Do what's best for the family. That might mean I'm not here."

With a sigh, Geno said, "Look, just stay here and don't do Anything crazy. I'll go talk to Anthony, maybe to Ma and come up with a plan. But don't turn yourself in. Stay here. Do I it for me. I know she isn't your bunny, but Julie here is still excellent company."

Sal scowled at his brother, causing Geno to once again go on the defensive. "I was only talking about watching a movie or something. Get our mind out of your pants, kid."

"Fine, I'll stay. But after we deal with the Omni, we are going to have to figure out what is best for the family."  
-

It was still early when the banging started. Silently, Judy cursed her noisy neighbors as she rolled over in her bed, not wanting to deal with the world. Yesterday had easily been one of the worst days of her life, and the thought of doing Anything today wasn't a welcome one. 

"Quiet down!" She yelled as she pulled the blankets up and over her head in a feeble attempt to drown out the noise. 

"Come on, Judy, open the door." She heard a masculine voice say. 

Pulling her self from her bed, she sat and looked at the door, curious what horrible thing could happen now. 

Again knocking, but this time a female voice called to her. "Judy, It's James and Nadine, Open up we're worried about you."

Trudging to the door, Judy reluctantly turned the lock and opened the door. "Look, guys," She begins to say before they can speak. "I appreciate you looking in on me. But I just lost my badge, realized I'm going crazy, and found out someone I thought was my friend killed the most important mammal in the world to me. I'm don't need someone to raise my spirits. I just need to sleep until the bar opens."

Not bothering to close the door, Judy turned her back on her friends and walked back to her bed, where she collapsed back into her cocoon of blankets and sorrow. Pushing their way into the apartment, Nadine pulled back the blankets on the depressed rabbit. "It's not that simple. We need your help."

"Find a real cop," Judy said before rolling away from the tiger. 

Hearing Judy, Nadine reaches into her shirt pocket and produces Judy's badge. "You are a real cop." She said as she placed the badge on Judy's paw. 

Gripping the badge, Judy slowly sat up in her bed. "But, Bogo said.." Judy said before trailing off. 

"Bogo was wrong; we all were."

"Wrong?" Judy asked. 

"About you, and about Sal," James said. 

Anger flashed across Judy's face at the mention of the fox's name. "I was wrong about him," The bunny said as she squeezed the badge in her paw. "I don't deserve this." She said as she offered the shield back to the wolf or tiger. 

Reaching for Judy's paw, Nadine didn't take the badge but instead closed Judy's paw around it. "No, Judy. You were right. We don't know what the Skulk is doing with him, or why he doesn't remember. But his paw prints match. Nick is alive."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what does Anthony want with Sal? Does Geno know the truth? How will Judy handle knowing she kicked the crap out of Nick?
> 
> Also is it weird to keep calling him Sal since that is who he thinks he is or should I call him Nick since that is who he really is?
> 
> Please review and let me know your theories and opinions.


	11. What now?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judy thinks she is going crazy, while Anthony plots his next move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this chapter is a bit late, and for it being a bit shorter than normal. Just a super busy week. Unfortunatly with it already being mid-week, the next chapter might be a little late as well.

“Nick is alive?” Judy said as she sat there in shock. “How? He can’t be, No, Sal told me…” Judy trailed off as her sleep-addled brain tried to understand what she was just told. Covering her eyes, Judy started repeating. “No, no, no.”

“Judy?” Nadine said as she sat down on the edge of the smaller mammal’s bed, her voice heavy with concern. Reaching out, she placed one of her large paws on Judy’s shoulder. “Are you ok?”

“No!” Judy said louder as she jerked herself away from the attempt to comfort her. “Please, Please leave me alone!” Judy begged as she pulled away from her friends until she was huddled in the corner. “Nick is dead. You’re not real.” She said in a fearful voice, as she pulled the blankets around herself in protection.

Concerned, James stepped closer to the bed. “No!” Judy said, louder this time, her breathing ragged and a look of terror on her face. “No!! I know you’re not real. I’m just imagining you. Nick is dead. Bogo said so, so did Finnick. So did both of you. You were right. You were all right.” Judy began to cry as she sat there. “I just wanted him back so bad. I made it up just like you said.”

Nadine looked towards James, the two sharing a concerned look before turning back towards Judy. “Right? I mean, how could Nick be alive? I saw him die. I, I saw the test results. Nick is dead. I was at his funeral. So were you guys. I sat next to his mother when they presented his badge to her. I know he’s dead. I know it. I know I was being crazy. Why won’t you leave me alone?”

“Judy, we’re real, and so is what we told you. Nick is alive,” James said.

Looking between the two mammals, Judy paused. “I’m not hallucinating?”

Shaking her head to the negative, Nadine softly answered, “No. We are really here, and according to what we just found out, Nick is alive.” Touch my paw. Could you touch a hallucination?”

Reaching out, Judy tentatively took the paw being offered to her. As she felt the tiger’s warm fur and rough paw pads, Judy smiled. “You're real? And Nick is…” Judy said excitedly. 

“I ran the prints my self,” James said.

Releasing Nadine’s paw, Judy shook her head. “No, no, this doesn’t make any sense. Sal killed him. He told me so.” 

Shooting a worried glance at her partner, Fangmeyer looked back to Judy, unsure exactly what she was referring too. “Who did Sal kill?” She asked worriedly and carefully, not wanting to upset the already on edge rabbit doe. 

“Nick!” Judy said, as her emotions started to flood her eyes. “He admitted to killing Nick. He told me he was the one who swung the bat. He killed him.”

James looked at Nadine, confusion on his face. “Judy….” He started only to be cut off by the rabbit.

“If the Skulk has Nick alive, why would Sal say that, to throw me off the trail? To just get rid of me?” She asked as the anger she felt at the fox she thought to be her friend rose again inside of her. “But then why wouldn’t he fight back…” Judy trailed off as the other two watched.

Kneeling next to the tiger, James leaned in. “Judy, we aren’t sure what he said or what he thinks he did, but according to his paw prints, Sal didn’t kill Nick. Sal is Nick. Your gut feeling about him was right.”

Nadine smiled. “You were right along. We shouldn’t have doubted you.”

“Yeah, that’s our bad,” James said as he rubbed the back of his head. 

“But if Sal is Nick, why doesn’t he know me? Why would he push me away?” A trolled Judy said, as she remembered the conversation just before Anthony broke Sal out of jail. 

“We don’t think he knows. Nick is convinced he is Sal and doesn’t remember his life as Nick Wilde.” James said.

For a few seconds Judy, looked down at the bed as she let everything sink in. “Sal is Nick, He doesn’t realize it, but he’s Nick. Nick is alive!” She said before looking up to Nadine. “I might get my fox back,” Judy said hopefully and barely above a whisper. “I get my fox back!” She said again this time louder and with a joy in her voice that hadn’t been heard since they thought Nick had passed. 

“We have to find him!” Judy practically yelled as she jumped from the bed and raced to her closet, digging for clothing. Startled by the sudden movement, both Nadine and James jumped as Judy sped by. 

Diving into her open closet, Judy began to strip off her nightshirt, forgetting about the other mamas in the room. James’s eyes went wide as he saw Judy’s exposed back and quickly turned around and covered his eyes much to the pleasure of his girlfriend next to him. 

“Good choice,” Nadine said to James as she stood and walked to the closet to help Judy get dressed. Moving to cover the bunny and help her retain a bit of modesty, Nadine called to Judy, “Um, Judy, you know you’re giving James here quite the show?”

Stopping from her current task of buttoning up her shirt, Judy’s eyes go wides as she remembers about the male wolf in the room. “Oh, um, sorry?” Judy said her ears turning red as she stood there suddenly embarrassed as well as afraid Nadine was mad at her for basically flashing James. 

“It’s ok. I made sure he looked away,” Nadine said kindly as Judy finished getting dressed. “Besides, I know you are just focused on finding Nick.”

“Yeah,” Judy said, her excitement returning. “He’s got to be someplace in Happytown. Do we know where any of the Skulk safe houses are? 

Standing with his back to Judy and one paw covering his eyes, James had to be the bearer of bad news. “Judy, we can’t just go pick him up. He thinks he’s Sal.” the wolf said. “Bogo thinks it is going to take proof. We are trying to get a warrant for a DNA sample from Sal so we can prove to him he really is Nick.”

“But this time,” Nadine interrupted, “Zootopia University Labs will do the test, just in case ours is still vulnerable.”

Judy, now dressed, turned to look a the other two mammals in her tiny apartment. “Vulnerable?” She asked. 

“We had someone, working for the Skulk in IT. James was the one that discovered it.” Nadine said. 

Hesitantly turning back around since neither female had given him the ok, James was happy to see Judy dressed as he continued. “This person was changing files for the Skulk to keep their members out of jail. He would delete warrants and past arrests.”

“That way,” Nadine continued. “If one of them got picked up, it would look like they had no priors and would hopefully get off with a warning or a lesser sentence.”

Judy looked at the two putting together how Nick fit into this. “You think this mammal messed with the tests. So we would think Nick was dead and bury someone else in his place.”

Nadine and James both nodded. “That’s the theory. Now we just need a sample of Sal’s DNA to see if it matches what we have on file for Nick.”

“Do you think he could have changed that?” Judy asked, a look of concern setting on her face. 

“It’s possible, but we don’t think so,” Nadine said. “The lab would have recorded Nick’s sample first than compared to it. We think they just changed the report, not the actual testing criteria.”

James looked down, a bit of frustration in his voice. “That’s why we are waiting for a warrant for Sal’s DNA.”

Cheerfully, Judy smiled at James, catching him off guard. “We don’t need to wait; I have his DNA.”

A look of confusion settled on both James’s and Nadine’s faces. “You have his DNA?” Nadine questioned, a bit unsure of how the bunny may have acquired the fox’s DNA. 

“Yep! I got some on my shirt last night after…” Judy trailed off, causing James to raise an eyebrow as he glanced at Nadine before returning his gaze to the rabbit. 

Opening her hamper, Judy pulled out the shirt she was wearing the night before. There, on the front of the shirt, where the bloodstains from the previous night's fight. 

“Its blood!” James said, his voice sounding relieved.

“Blood is better?” Nadine said to her partner. 

“Than the alternative.” He said a relieved look on his face.

Rolling her eyes at the wolf, Nadine turned to Judy and asked carefully, “Judy, why would you have a shirt with Sal’s blood on it?”

Standing on in front of the tiger and wolf, the entire events of the previous night flooded Judy’s mind. Watching the bunny, Nadine and James saw the smile fade from her face only to be replaced by tears. Looking down at the bloody blouse, Judy said, “I didn’t know. I thought he killed him.”

Standing from the bed, Nadine walked a couple of steps to where the bunny was standing. “Judy?” She asked 

“When Sal told me what he thought he did. What he did to Nick, I lost it. I just kept hitting him.” Judy said sputtering. “He wouldn’t fight back. Even if he didn’t know he was Nick, he still wouldn’t hurt me. He, He…”

James walked up to where the two females were standing. “Maybe there is still some of Nick in there. He couldn’t hurt you.”

“I hope so,” Judy said as she leans against the tiger who embraced her into a hug. “I really hope so.” Judy looked a the shirt again before turning to Nadine. “Do you think he will forgive me?” Judy asked through new tears. 

“If there is even a tiny bit of Nick left in there, I have no doubt he will forgive you,” Nadine said, pulling the rabbit into another hug. “I would bet on it.”  
-

Later that day in Happytown, Anthony sits quietly at a kitchen table eating his dinner and listening to his lieutenants' talk. "The Omni isn't happy with what happened at the last sit down." Jordy, a fennec and one of Anthony's most trusted advisors, said. "Rumor has it they are preparing to attack. They want to take you out."

"I'm kind of surprised they haven't already tried," Robert, a large desert fox and one of Anthony's oldest friends, said. 

Jordy shook his head. "I think it is because he was in the slammer. The Omni didn't want to mess with the ZPD. That type of attention is bad for business."

Anthony chuckled nonchalantly, before saying "It's nice to know they are thinking of me." Taking another bite of the chicken in front of him, he continued to eat his dinner, seemingly not to care that he had just been told there was a credible threat on his life. 

"Anthony, Sir," Jordy said in a worried tone. "They are planning to assassinate you. How can you not care?"

Setting down his fork, Anthony reached for his glass and took a sip of his wine. "It's simple, Jordy. I don't think they can." Picking up his napkin, Anthony wiped his mouth before throwing the dirty piece of cloth back on the table. "Besides, in two more days, there won't be an Omni any more. Right, Robert?"

"That's right. The weapons should be here on the boat arriving tomorrow night." Robert said. 

Standing from the table, Anthony turned to Jordy. "See nothing to worry about. Thank your wife for dinner." Anthony said as he turned towards the door. 

Outside Robert walked with Anthony to his car. "Hey Tony, You watch your back brother. Anyone can get lucky. I mean, imagine the shape Sal would be in if Geno hadn't found him last night. That bunny would have beat him to death." Robert said 

Unable to suppress a smile, Anthony looked at the other foxes as he thought of the beating Judy had given Sal. "Oh, to have seen that.." Anthony said, imaging the scene.

"Speaking of Sal," Robert said. "I know he is your little project, but he didn't even fight back last night. Something is going on between him and that cop."

Ending his daydream, Anthony frowned. "I know. I thought telling him he was the killer would have scared him away from her, not to her."

"You think he remembers something?" Robert asked.

Shaking his head to the negative, Anthony answered. "No, according to Geno, he doesn't remember, but he is developing feelings for that bunny. Geno said the two were involved before we got him."

"In love with a bunny, some hero fox," Robert said.

Opening the door of his car, Anthony turned towards Robert. "We don't need the ZPD involved in this."

"You want the bunny eliminated?" Robert asked

Anthony smiled. "Let's just say I have an idea."

-  
It was later that night that a tired Nadine Fangmeyer opens the door to the new apartment she shared with her boyfriend and fellow officer, Jame Wolford. Dragging her paws, she sighed as she crossed the threshold. Tossing her radio and tranquilizer on the table just inside the door, she shook her head. It had been a long day.

After getting Sal’s DNA sample to the lab at ZU, Nadine and James had played babysitter to their friend, who still seemed a little out of it. Not that Nadine blamed her. If she thought she lost James, only to find out later he was not only alive but had no memory of her, well Nadine wasn’t sure she would be doing any better than Judy. 

Walking down the hall, Nadine was interrupted from her introspection by the wonderful smell of baking salmon. Her mouth watered as she expectantly turning the corner and looked into the kitchen. There, standing by the stove, dressed in a pair of shorts, a tee-shirt, and a frilly pink apron, was Jame Wolford. Pausing from staring the rice, he smiled at the weary tiger. 

“Welcome home,” He said with a smile. “ But you’re early. The food isn’t ready yet.”

Looking at James, Nadine returned the smile as she looked around the room and noticed their small kitchen table, laid out with a beautiful table cloth, plates, and a small fragrant candle. 

“Come here,” Nadine said with a smile as she took the wolf into her arms, kissing him. “I love you,” 

“I love you too,” He said.

Breaking the kiss, Nadine motioned towards the oven and the table. “What’s all this for?” She asked.

“With everything that has been going on at work with Nick and Judy, it just reminded me how much you mean to me,” Wolford said as his larger girlfriend placed him back on the floor. “I just wanted to make sure you knew.”

“I know,” Nadine said with a smile. “Do I have time for a quick shower?” She asked, not really wanting to sit in her police blues any longer. 

Wolford smiled in return. “Get comfortable; you have plenty of time.”

Swishing her tail, much to James’s delight Nadine retreated to their bedroom, to strip off the dirty uniform and quickly step into the shower. Turning not he hot water, she stood under the spray oblivious to the world as the hot water cascaded threw her fur and down her body. 

Grabbing the fur shampoo, she sniffed the floral smell before rubbing a generous amount into her fur. She wanted to smell sweet for the wolf that she planned on getting pretty close to later tonight. Rubbing the suds into her coat, Nadine imagined it was Jame’s paws exploring her body. Not working together these last few weeks meant the didn’t see as much of each other—something she desperately missed. 

Turning off the water, Nadine hurriedly stepped out of the shower and into the fur dryer, eager to get back to her wolf. The warm air felt great on her fur. The fur drier had to be one of her favorite parts of their new apartment. Nadine smiled again at the thought. Their apartment. It had a nice ring to it. It was while she was getting dressed that she heard James cry out.

“No, No, Please!” James begged as he spoke to some unknown entity in the other room. Nadine paused and listened but was unable to make out if anyone answered the worried wolf. Worry gripped her as she pictured her wolf in danger. Reaching to her side, she was dismayed to find her weapon missing, left by her near the door of their apartment. 

Slowly she snuck from the bedroom, careful not to make a noise and alert whoever was in there with James of her presence. But the sudden high pitched yelp of pain emitted, but the wolf that was quickly followed by the sound of metal hitting the floor caused Nadine to forgo any use of caution and lunge forward into the kitchen with teeth and claws bared. 

There, on the floor, sat James holding his paw with a look of pain on his face. Next to him sat the roasting pan and pieces of burnt salmon surrounded by the rice he had been stirring earlier.

Seeing that James was alone, Nadine began to calm down. But still curious, she asked, “What happened?”

Ashamed, Wolford looked down at the floor. “I had just taken the rice off the stove when I started to smell smoke. The salmon was burning, so I reached my bare paw into the oven to grab the pan….” James trailed off the nature of his injury, not needing any more of an explanation. 

Kneeling Nadine started to help James clean up the mess. “No, I got it,” he protested, pushing her paw away. “I ruined the special night. I can clean it up,"

“Hey, Stop,” She said, turning his face towards hers. “You didn’t ruin anything, Just being with you makes it special.”

“No,” James said, turning away from her to grab some more of the soiled food. “I wanted tonight to be really special.” 

Nadine looked at him, confused. Turning towards her, James looked the tiger in the eye. “Everything that has happened with Nick and Judy is tragic. But the worst part is they never told each other how they felt. She thought he died with him, never knowing how much she loved him. I don’t want that.”

Nadine looked at James, puzzled. “James, I know you love me. Just like you know I love you. I mean, we are living together, remember?” She said a slight smile crossed her face. 

“That's not what I mean,” James said as he paused to reach into his pocket and pulled out a small black box. “I mean…” He again trailed off as words failed him. 

Seeing the box, Nadine’s eyes went wide. “James…” She said, unable to say more as unexpected expectations suddenly overtook her. 

Opening the box, James looked up at the tiger on the floor next to him. “I want to make it official. I want to be able to tell everyone how much you mean to me.” Lifting the box and the silver engagement ring inside, James said, “Nadine, will you marry me?”

For a second, Nadine was quiet, scaring James that maybe he had done something wrong. But before he could ask any questions, Nadine screamed, “YES!” As she threw her arms around the smaller wolf knocking him to the floor as she passionately kissed him. 

When they finally broke the kiss, Nadine looked down on her wolf. “Sorry I ruined our perfect dinner,” He said again, still worried about the night not being perfect. 

“As long as I have you, every meal, even just pizza on the couch, is perfect,” Nadine said as she kissed him again. 

Breaking the kiss, Wolford smiled as he looked up at his new fiancé. “Good because I can’t cook.”

“Not even a little bit,” She says laughing, before kissing him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok had to end at least one chapter on a happy moment. Of course, whatever Anthony is planning will probably be a problem. 
> 
> It's your turn. What do you think? What is Anthony planning? How is Judy going to get her fox back? Please leave your thoughts and reviews.


	12. No More Lies.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sal finally confronts Anthony, and Geno takes matters into his own hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delays in getting this chapter to you. Life has been busy, and it ran long. I'm hoping to be back on my regular posting schedule after this.

Waking up, Sal was amazed at how sore he was. It had been two days since his altercation with Judy, yet he could still feel every place where she had hit him. Thinking back to that night, Sal couldn't blame her. He hated himself for what he did.

Keeping his eyes closed, Sal allowed his mind to wander. He pictured Judy when she was sure he was Nick. How her violet eyes sparkled as she looked at him. A slight pang of despair washed over Sal as he secretly wished Judy cared about him the same way she did Nick. He longed for more of the soft touch of her fur. The way she felt in his arms when she nuzzled against him seeking comfort in the graveyard.

Sighing, Sal remembered his promise to Geno. He said he wouldn't do anything rash, but Sal thought about Judy each time he became more and more sure of what he should do. Sal knew he should accept the punishment for what he did. Once he was behind bars, Judy would be able to move on, knowing that she had gotten justice for the fox she cared so deeply about. 

Feeling the longing building inside himself, Sal took a deep breath in through his nose to settle his nerves. Unexpectedly, he was met with a scent he didn't expect. It was something distinctly feminine and floral. The smell was enticing and not entirely unfamiliar. 

Rolling over in his bed Sal was surprised to see Julie lying next to him on her side, the sheet barely pulled to her waist and her back facing him. Sal stared at the female fox in disbelief, his eyes slowly making their way down her exposed back towards her tail. In her paws, Julie gripped the blanket they had shared. Pulling it tight to her chest, it was the only thing providing for any modesty. 

In an almost panic, Sal searched his memory. He remembered going to bed alone, but Julie was clearly here now. Smelling his own fur, he did detect a hint of her scent, but it was weak, and lacked the mingling with his own he would expect if the two of them had done more than sleep next to each other. 

Rolling back onto his back, Sal let out a relieved sigh. He was glad nothing happened, a feeling that made him laugh. He was a single tod, but even the thought of being with the vixen made him feel like he was cheating on a bunny he wasn't with, and that hated him. 

Next to him, Julie moved, roused from her sleep by the motion next to her. Rolling to where she was facing Sal, She propped her self up on one of her arms. "Morning, Sal," She said with a flirty smile, as her other paw reached out to toy with the fluffy fur on his chest. 

Uncomfortable, Sal turned to look at the vixen. "Um, good morning," He said. "Not to be rude or anything, but why are you naked and in bed with me?"

The flirty smile increased as Julie's paw slowly made its way down Sal's chest and across his stomach. "Where else would I sleep?" She asked flippantly. "Besides, it makes it easier for us to have a fun morning," Julie's paw paused for a second at the waistband of Sal's boxers before slipping inside.

"Wait, what are you doing?!" Sal asked in alarm as he pulled away from the vixen, breaking her grasp on his fox hood.

Julie smiled. "I just thought you might need some help, getting your mind off of things." She said in a sultry voice. 

Shaken, Sal stood next to the bed out of the vixen's reach. "I'm fine, trust me."

Sitting up in the bed, allowing the sheet to fall a bit and expose more of her fur, Julie looked at Sal. "You sure?" She asked, her eyes locked on the growing bulge in Sal's boxers. 

"I'm fine," He repeated as he looked away from the exposed vixen and tried to hide his arousal. 

"Suit yourself," Julie said as he pulled the blanket back up to cover her exposed body. An uncomfortable silence fell on the room as the two foxes trying not to look at each other. When Julie finally spoke, her face and voice changed. Instead of the tools of seduction, they now held the signs of worry. "Sal, I know something is bothering you. Anthony said it was some female you want and can't have... That's why he thought I could take your mind off of her."

Anger rose in Sal's chest. "Anthony told you to do this? So I would forget about Judy?"

Nodding to the affirmative to answer Sal's question, Julie then said, "Her name is Judy? She must be some vixen if you two aren't even together yet you are saving yourself for her." Watching the anger in Sal's eyes, Julie looked down a bit embarrassed at her attempt at levity. "I mean, you must really care about her," Julie said. 

Sal's eyes narrowed. Ignoring what Julie had said, he looked at her before saying, "Get dressed. Then tell Anthony, if he isn't here in an hour, I'm going to the ZPD, and I'm going to tell them everything."  
-

Elsewhere in Zootopia, Geno was walking alone. He loved walking the empty streets of the City Center early in the morning. Soon the city would wake up, and these streets would be filled with mammals. They would be on their way to work or off on some errand they needed to complete. Geno never minded the crowd, but right now, Geno was grateful for quiet and the solitude the streets provided. 

Taking a sip of his coffee, Geno enjoyed the warm feeling that filled him as it contrasts the chill of the crisp morning air. "I'm going to miss this," He said to himself quietly as he turned another corner.

As he walked, Geno's thoughts drifted to Sal and the conversation they had the previous day. Unfortunately, it was that talk that confirmed one of Geno's worst fears was coming to be. Sal was changing as parts of Nick's personality started to peek through. 

Sal would have never dreamed of standing up to Anthony or challenging his orders in the past year. Like most of the Skulk, he avoided the ZPD and did everything to keep a low profile. But now, he seemed to have an affinity for his previous enemy, especially the bunny. Geno smiled as he thought of the one officer Sal favored over the others. 

The look in Sal's eye when he spoke of her prompted Geno to come here today. It was easy to forget that Sal had a life before they met. He was a blank slate after the accident. But now, when confronted with the pain losing Nick caused the rabbit, and how Sal still had feelings for her, it somehow felt wrong. They weren't giving Sal a new life, the one he deserved like Anthony said. They had taken away the life he had. They had taken him away from her.

Depositing the now empty cup into a trash can, Geno took a deep breath. He wasn't looking forward to what he was about to do, but he knew he had no other choice. If he didn't, Sal would destroy his new life, like he and Anthony had the previous one. After one more deep breath, Geno reached out and opened the door in front of him. Then with a confidence he wasn't sure was there, he walked into the lobby of Precinct One.  
-

"Sal!" Anthony said happily, his arms outstretched as he walked forward to embrace the other fox.

Shying away from the hug, Sal stepped back from Anthony, leaving the white fox standing there with his arms in the air. "Tell me the truth all of it," Sal said in a confident voice that took Anthony a bit off guard. 

Dropping his arms to his sides, Anthony frowned at Sal unhappy with the show of disrespect. "You have me at a disadvantage here, brother. I don't know what we are talking about. All I know is you issued a threat that could destroy everything we have been working for." Anthony said with a less joyous tone to his voice. 

Scowling, Sal stared at Anthony, a hatred in his eyes that unnerved the white fox. "We are talking about all of this," Sal said, pointing at the apartment. "Why am I not allowed to leave? Why are you threatening this vixen and my brother to keep me here?" Sal. Stepped forward aggressively.

Watching the other fox from the side of his eye, Anthony walked over to the small kitchen table. Taking off his jacket, he carefully hung it on the back of a chair before sitting down. "Join me, won't you, brother?" Anthony said as he motioned towards one of the empty chairs. 

Hesitantly, Sal took a seat across from Anthony. As he did so, Sal couldn't help but look at Julie, his facial features softening as he saw the vixen, now dressed in a silk robe hiding in the hallway. It disgusted Sal to think about how Anthony had threatened vixen, treating her as his property.

Turning his attention back to the tod before him, Sal's scowl returned. "Tell me the truth, Anthony. What's going on, and what do I have to do with it." Sal said, with a palpable unease and anger in his voice.

Closing his eyes for a second, Anthony before opening them and looking at Sal. A sly smile slowly spread across his face. "Sal, you've had a rough couple of days. I just figured you needed a break. It was for your own good."

"Keeping me locked in here, and threatening a vixen is for my own good?" Sal asked, his voice barely above a growl and betraying his anger towards the white fox. 

"I didn't threaten her. I just asked her to look after you," Anthony said. 

Sal scowled, knowing he was being lied to. "Then why was she so scared of what you would do if I left?"

Raising his eyebrows, Anthony looked at Sal dismissively. "Brother, if you want me to explain to you why vixens do the things they do, you are out of luck." Smiling, Anthony continued. "The answer to that question has eluded us tods since the beginning of time."

"I'm not in the mood for jokes," Sal snapped. "Yesterday, she is terrified of you would do if I left, and today, at your orders, I wake up to her paws in my shorts."

Shaking his head with his paws in the air, Anthony smiled. "Sorry, I'm still not seeing the problem, brother." He said with a jovial tone to his voice.

Silently, Sal scowled, his gaze never leaving the white fox seated across from him.

"Fine," Anthony said, rolling his eyes as he gave in to the other fox's demands. "You got me. After everything that happened in the last few days, I thought you needed a distraction. Julie here was always one of your favorites before, so I thought she might be again."

"Before?" Sal asked with a raised eyebrow, unsure at what Anthony meant. 

Smiling, Anthony continued. "Before your accident, she was always your favorite. You and her, well, I'll just say she did more for you than put her paws in your shorts."

Trying to clarify, Sal asked, "Her and I? You mean we were involved?"

Shrugging, Anthony laughed. "I don't know the specifics. You two might have been a thing, or you might have just been a good customer. But don't worry. No judgment here." Anthony said in a friendly tone.

Leaning forward in his chair, Sal stared at Anthony. "If she and I have been sleeping together, Why did you wait until now to introduce us. Maybe she could have jogged my memory?"

Anthony leaned back in his own chair, unprepared for the question. "Well, um…"

Not waiting for Anthony to answer, Sal continued. "More-so, Why would she tell me yesterday that we hadn't been together?"

"I thought…" Anthony started

Again Sal interrupted Anthony, not letting him answer. "But most of all, why would she tell me you told her to do it so I would forget about Judy?"

An uncomfortable silence fell on the kitchen as the two foxes stared at each other. Slowly Anthony turned his head and looked at the vixen hiding in the shadows of the hallway. "You told him all that?" Anthony asked. 

Hesitantly, the vixen shook her head yes, and said, "It was what you told me," as she pulled her robe tighter around herself protectively.

Moving quickly, Anthony stood from the table and covered the short distance between him and the vixen. Grabbing her by the throat, he roughly pushed her against the wall. "You worthless slut," Anthony said, his voice having lost its mirth, replaced with pure anger and malice. Slowly he began to squeeze his claws around her throat. "You might have ruined everything," 

Desperate, Julie grabbed at Anthony's paw, digging her own claws into his flesh. "You had one job," Anthony said, ignoring the pain as he continued to squeeze. "Continue to be the piece of trash whore you were. But that was too much to ask, wasn't it."

From the other side of the table, Sal stood. "Let her go," he said in a menacing tone. 

Turning from Julie, Anthony looked Sal in the eyes. "Or you will do what? Don't forget who is in charge here, brother." 

"I'm not your brother," Sal said, his voice almost a growl.

Anthony, looking at Sal, said, "That's unfortunate," as his grip around the vixen's neck tightened. "Because that is probably the only thing keeping you alive."

Sal lunged at Anthony, not waiting any longer, wrapping his arms around the white fox and knocking the air from his lungs. At the moment of impact, Anthony released Julie, who fell to the ground, coughing and gasping for air. 

A few feet from the fallen vixen, Anthony and Sal landed in a pile. Instantly the two were upon each other teeth, and claws bared. "Jealous of my getting too close to your slut?" Anthony asked as he threw a punch that connected with Sal's face knocking the other fox off of him. 

Rolling away from the white fox, Sal quickly regained his feet and stood to match his now standing adversary. "I'm tired of the lies," Sal said. "What else are you hiding from me?" 

"I was just trying to protect you, you ungrateful whelp," Anthony growled.

But Sal wasn't buying it. "liar!" Sal said as he again launched himself at Anthony. In Anthony's head, there was a quick flash of deja vu caused by a fight only he remembered. But the momentary distraction was all Sal needed as he connected with the white fox's chin, sending Anthony into the nearby wall.

Pushing off the wall, Anthony lunged at Sal, knocking them both back to the floor where the two grappled, neither able to gain an immediate advantage. But like in their previous fight, Sal proved to be the better fighter rolling Anthony and landing a few more punches to the side of the other tod's face.

From the ground, Anthony swung wildly, slashing at anything he might be able to make contact with. Shielding himself from the attack, Sal lead back narrowly missing being slashed as Anthony's claws tore through the loose-fitting shirt Sal was wearing. 

With all of his remaining strength, Anthony pushed back against Sal knocking the tod off of him and to the ground. Hastily, both tods, scrambled back to their feet, ready for another attack. As they stood there, the two paused for a second, giving Anthony time to notice the bandages wrapped around Sal's bruised ribs, revealed now that his shirt was torn. Seeing the injury, Anthony wondered how Sal could still have feelings for the mammal that injured him.

Seeing Anthony was distracted, Sal Tok the opportunity and charged. Swinging at the white fox, Sal connected, sending Anthony to the ground and opening a gash above his left eye.

Like during their last fight, Anthony was again seated on the ground, looking up at the one fox who beat him. "I should have let you die," Anthony said as blood trickled down his face. 

"I was thinking the same thing," Sal answered back. "Instead, I killed a fox who was better than both of us."

Instantly the anger on Anthony's face transformed into pure rage. "He's not better than me! NO ONE IS BETTER THAN ME!" Anthony yelled as he left from all fours towards Sal. Teeth bared and claw out, Anthony snapped his jaws and slashed at the other tod.

Jumping back, Sal dodged the attack and countered with a punch down onto the back of the crawling fox, knocking the breath from the tod and sending him back to the ground. 

Raising himself to one knee and out of breath, Anthony continued to argue. "Wilde didn't care. He didn't take care of the family. I do that! I'm the one they turn to." Anthony said as he stared at Sal, his eyes filled with hate, a stare Sal returned. "I'm the Hero of Happytown. Not him, not him", Anthony said panting. 

"You are nothing," Sal said as he looked down on his opponent. 

Anthony looked up at Sal for a second before a creepy smile spread across his face. 

Bothered by the sudden smile, Sal took a step back as he continued to focus on the fox grinning in front of him. When suddenly, Julie called out, "Look out!" But her warning was too slow, as Robert, one of Anthony's lieutenants, shattered a wooden kitchen chair over Sal's back. Yelping in pain, Sal dropped to the ground, Gripping his bruised ribs.

Slowly Anthony rose from the ground until he was standing over Anthony. "You're not better than me, Sal. Don't think that you are,"

"I might not be. But I can try. I learned that from Wilde", Sal said as he slowly raised to his knees.

Anthony frowned at the mention of Wilde's name. "You still don't get it, do you. I am the one who is in charge. Not because I'm the toughest or the smartest. Because I am the one willing to do what needs to be done for our family!" Anthony said as he aimed a kicked Sal connecting with his bandaged ribs, causing Sal to yelp again. "Not the mayor, not the ZPD. Especially not that bunny cop you are so fond of!" Anthony snarled as he again attacked Sal, this time kicking him across his muzzle.

Gritting his teeth, Sal absorbed the abuse, unable to defend himself. "But you don't get it. Your loyalty is to her. Not to me, not to us, not your family. I'm sorry Sal, I tried to find other ways, but you wouldn't listen." Stomping on Sal's midsection, the bruised ribs' audible crack brought a smile to Anthony's face. "You just couldn't sit back. You had to grow a conscience".

Anthony paced around Sal as the red fox lay gripping his side. "I didn't want it to be this way, but you're giving me no choice." Bending down, Anthony placed his face next to Sal's, and said coldly, "I need you back with us brother. Which I guess, that means the bunny has to, be dealt with."

"You touch her…" Sal began to cough as he spat some blood on the ground. Even with the pain, he was in, he tried to pull himself to his feet. "I'll kill you."

"No, you won't. You didn't have the stones to finish me last time, and I'm never going to give you a bother chance." Anthony said as he picked up one of the broken pieces of the chair. "Just like last time. I win," he said as he swung the chair leg like a bat, hitting Sal across the face, leaving him still and unconscious. 

Looking a the chair leg in his paw, Anthony laughed. "Ironic," He said as he looked at the makeshift weapon before dropping it on the floor.

Stepping over the unconscious Sal, Anthony looked to Julie, who now cowered against the wall. "Make sure he doesn't die." Julie nodded and slowly crawled towards Sal, not taking her eyes off of the white fox. Anthony lingered for a moment as he watched the vixen. He saw the fear in her, and she hurried to do what he said, causing Anthony to smile.

Turning from the vixen, Anthony walked back to where he had hung his jacket and put the garment back on. Grabbing a dishtowel, he dabbed at the bleeding cut above his eye as he left the apartment, quickly followed by Robert.  
As he continued to address the bleeding, Anthony looked to Robert. "Have Jordy grab a couple of the boys and come get these two," Anthony said as he dabbed at the wound. "I don't trust them. I wouldn't be surprised if Sal tried to do something stupid when he wakes up."

Pulling out his phone, Robert quickly sent the message to Jordy. After he finished, he put his phone back in his pocket and looked at Anthony. "Tony, if you don't mind me asking, why keep him alive? You've already taken everything from him, and he's a liability." Robert asked.

Pausing for a few seconds to center himself, Anthony answered. "I know," he said. "I will kill him soon, but I'm not done yet. There is one more thing I can take from him."

Robert gave Anthony a quizzical look, as he understood what Anthony was referring to. "I thought the bunny already hated him?"

"She does. But he still loves her. I want to watch his face. I want him to watch her as the lights behind her eyes fade."

"Then you will kill him?" Robert asked.

Wordlessly, Anthony smiled, pushing past Robert and stepped out onto the streets of Zootopia.  
-

Across town, in one of the interrogation rooms of Precinct one, Geno Rosso sat alone, staring at his reflection in what he was sure was a two-way mirror. Unknown to Geno, standing on the other side of the glass was Chief Bogo, the newly engaged officers, Wolford and Fangmeyer, and the freshly reinstated Judy Hopps.

"What do you think his game is?" Bogo asked, his eyes never leaving the fox. 

Fangmeyer shook her head. "I don't know. It doesn't make any sense. He walked in, went up to Clawhauser, and asked to be arrested."

"Did he give a reason why?" The large buffalo asked.

"No," Fangmeyer answered. "He only said they will know why." Nadine paused for a second to look at Judy, "Then he said he would only talk to the rabbit."

Wolford turned to look down at Judy. "We assume he means you."

"Great deduction, figuring out he meant the only rabbit officer on the force," Bogo said sarcastically.

Ignoring Bogo insulting her fiancé, Nadine proposed, "Maybe it's a message from Nick? Maybe he remembered something and wants to tell Judy."

Looking down, Judy closed her eyes as guilt washed over her. "He isn't here because of Nick," Judy said. "Even if Nick remembered me, after the way I treated him when I thought, well," She paused as she fought to control her feelings. "He won't want to talk to me anytime soon."

"Even so," Bogo said, trying to keep the conversation moving and keep Judy from spiraling. "He is our best lead to figuring out what is going on with the Skulk." Pausing, it was now Bogo's turn to feel the guilt of the situation, "And our best lead to finding Wilde." Bogo said, blaming himself for the fate that befell one of his officers. 

For a second, no one spoke as the four officers each thought about getting their friend back. Breaking the silence, Bogo crossed his arms and returned his gaze to the fox. "I assume you are willing to talk to him?" Bogo said to Judy without looking at her. 

"Yes sir," Judy said without hesitation.

"I'm going too," Nadine said. 

Judy shook her head. "He only asked for me," she protested. 

"I don't care. I'm not letting you go in there alone. I'll be quiet, but until we know, he isn't up to something I'm staying by your side." Nadine paused and looked at Bogo, "Sir?" She asked, hoping he agreed. 

"Go," Bogo said succinctly.

The two female officers exited the viewing room and walked the short distance down the hall to the interrogation room. Outside, Nadine stopped Judy, who turned and looked to the larger female. "I'm not going in there because I don't think you can handle it. I just want you to know you have mammals that are supporting you. No matter what this guy says we are here for you and for Nick,"

Pausing, with her paw on the door handle, Judy was quiet for a second before she smiled and said, "Thanks." 

Opening the door, Judy saw Geno and was instantly reminded of the last time she saw him running to the battered Sal as Judy hid nearby. Pushing the thoughts from her mind, she kept her face still. "Hello, Geno," Judy said. "I was told you wanted to talk. 

"I asked to talk to you alone," an annoyed Geno answered. "What's with the tiger? Scared you aren't safe with little old me?"

Setting the file folder down on the table, Judy took a seat as Nadine answered before Geno's question. "I'm not here for her for HER safety." She said with a small smile directed at the fox. 

Remembering the beating Sal took at the hands of the bunny, Geno, and knowing the type of news he was about to deliver, Geno swallowed nervously. "O-Ok," he said, his voice betraying his nerves. 

"Now Geno, before we start, I wanted to thank you on behalf of the ZPD for turning yourself in. Your cooperation will be taken into consideration when it comes to trial", Judy said, repeating the interrogation lines she was taught in the academy.

"That's not why I'm here," Geno snapped back, annoyed at the formality.

Judy smiled. "Darn, and I thought you were just scared to have me hunt you down and bring you back in."

Smiling, Geno let out a small chuckle. "I can see why he likes you, little rabbit. Even after you kicked the crap out of him."

Judy shifted in her seat, her bravado faltering. "You mean Ni... I mean, you mean Sal, right,"

"Yes.." Geno started as his brain registered Judy's mistake. Shocked, he leaned forward and stared at the rabbit. "You know?"

Internally Judy was angry with herself for her slip up, but externally she didn't show any emotion. In a second, she made a decision, to be honest with the fox. "I just found out." She admitted. "When you get done with what you have to tell us, I will have a few questions about that," Judy added, secretly hoping Nick was the reason Geno turned himself in.

"It's why I'm here," Geno confirmed. "I don't want to keep this act up anymore."

Stepping forward from where she was leaning on the wall, Nadine spoke. "Why don't you start at the beginning. How did Nick survive, and who did we bury?"

"You buried, Mikey. My brother, not in a Skulk, we are all brothers kind of way, but my real brother." Geno's voice began to tremble as memories of his brother invaded his thoughts. That night, when things went south for Anthony, we busted in to see if we could help. We were both small-time, looking to make a name for ourselves in the family. Especially, Mikey, he was only 20, and he wanted to be somebody,"

"But, things went wrong," Nadine said 

"Yeah," Geno said, echoing her statement. "Things went wrong."

Watching a tear fall from Geno's eye, Judy felt for the fox but, at the same time, needed to know. "Was he the one who hit Nick?" 

Geno nodded, looking down. "He was." Looking back up at Judy, Geno continued. "He was scared. We heard Anthony cry out in pain from the chemicals burning him. Then, there way Sal, I mean Nick, standing there. Mikey just sprung into action." Geno said as he continued to try and fight back the tears. 

"Mikey was a good pup, and Anthony was his hero. He wanted to impress Anthony so badly, and what better way to do that then to be the one who saved him?" Geno asked. "When some of the boys and I got to Anthony, he ordered us to grab Nick as well. Most of all, he said to make sure we got his badge. While we were loading Nick into the truck, Mikey went back for his badge. That's when that pipe…" Geno trailed off as emotions overtook him. 

The interrogation room was silent as both officers secretly hoped the other would ask the question they shared. Finally, Nadine asked. "Why didn't you go back for him?"

Geno looked up, his eyes red and wet. "Because I'm too spineless to stand up to Anthony," Geno said. "After the explosion, he said to leave. When I tried to say something, he threatened me, so I sat down and was quiet. My brother is dead because I was afraid."

"You don't know if you could have saved him. Maybe he was already gone." Nadine said in an attempt to comfort the fox. 

Closing his eyes, Geno d down at the table. "We'll never know, and it's my fault. It's my fault he is buried in someone else's grave." He said. 

Glancing back at the mirror, Nadine attempted to move the story along. "How did Anthony cover up his identity?"

Not looking up from the table, Geno answered. "We had a guy, used to work here." Geno looked up, "Tell that buffalo that I'm sure is behind that glass not to worry. Anthony took care of him a few weeks ago."

Behind the glass, both Wolford and Bogo cringed as they remembered the pictures of Mark Stafford's body. 

"Wait," Nadine said. "If your brother Mikey was the one buried, who was Sal? Where did that identity come from?"

Geno shrugged. "Anthony made him up. He shared my last name because Anthony asked me if he could stay with Ma and me." Suddenly worried, Geno looked up. "Ma never knew who he was. Only that he needed help. She thought he was just one of the Skulk with amnesia and a past better left forgotten. Having just lost Mikey, she welcomed him with open paws. I think focusing on Sal and watching over his recovery helped her deal with losing Mikey."

"But why take Nick?" Judy asked. "Why go through all of the trouble of creating a new identity for him?" 

Geno looked back down, a look that Nadine and Judy would swear was shame appeared on his face. "Anthony told us too. We thought," Geno paused and looked at Judy. "We thought he was just going to kill him. But when Nick woke up, he had no idea who he was or who we were. Anthony was excited about the opportunity to make him one of us. 

"But why? Why, Nick?" Judy asked again, her voice slightly pleading. "Why not any other fox in this entire city? Why did he have to take Nick?"

Looking across the table, Geno stared at Judy as if deciding how much to share. "Anthony hated Nick."

"Why?" Judy asked, trying to remain calm as they pulled information from the fox.

Looking back at the bunny, Geno sighed. "Nick made it out. He was a hero to so many pups. Vixens would point to pictures of him to inspire their pups to strive for more to not settle. Nick had to the one thing Anthony truly wanted. The admiration of the people of Happytown."

"He was jealous?" Judy asked.

Nodding Geno continued. "There is something you need to know about Anthony. When we were younger, Anthony was obsessed with Robin Hood. The hero of the mammals who were stepped on by those with wealth and power. Anthony wanted to be that type of hero. He wanted to be the Robin Hood of Happytown."

"But," Nadine said, "Who is Anthony fighting? Who does he feel is treating him and the rest of the foxes of Happytown unfairly?"

A small look of disgust crossed Geno's face. "Are you new to town?" He asked sarcastically.

"I, uh," Fangmeyer fumbled for words.

"Us foxes aren't exactly a species being held up as the best of Zootopia. Everyone sees us as shifty or up to something. We get passed over for jobs, treated like criminals. We live in one of the most rundown parts of town because most landlords in other districts won't rent to us. Even the ZPD assumes we are guilty before they know the facts."

Behind the glass, Bogo felt shame as he looked to Wolfed, remembering how he had treated Nick when he first met him and how he had contributed to the problems Geno spoke about. It took Nick and Judy solving the night howler case to change his mind and show him the error of his ways. 

"It's why Nick becoming a cop is so special," Geno said. "A fox who not only fought for a real career but in a field that would garner respect. It was unheard of."

Remembering the gondola ride she shared with Nick when searching for the missing mammals, Judy closed her eyes. In her head, she heard Nick's voice. "If all anyone is going to see is a shifty fox, then why try to be anything else."

"Anthony was desperate to be Robin Hood, and believe it or not, he did a lot of good. He gave a lot of the money the Skulk made to mammals in need and provided food and medicine to those who had no other way to get it. Anthony saw himself as a hero and then watched as the Sheriff, Nick, received the attention Anthony felt he deserved. It drove him crazy."

"He didn't want to just get rid of Nick. He wanted to tear down what Nick stood for," Judy said.

"Exactly. He wanted to see Nick Wilde, the Hero of Happytown, reduced to nothing more than a common criminal doing his bidding. A fate worse than death. Anthony undid everything that made Nick special. He even managed to turn you against him".

Hearing how well Anthony had played her, A look of remorse spread across Judy's face. "I thought he killed him, I was so mad," Judy said. 

"Sal still thinks he killed Nick and hates himself for it." Looking to Judy, Geno smiled. "It's because of you that he cares. You awoke something in him, something that made him want to be better. He was even thinking about turning himself in for Nick's murder. To give you the closer you desired. I couldn't let him do that."

Judy looked upon Geno with compassion. "So, you choose to take his spot."

Laughing a bit, in an attempt to cover his discomfort, Geno said, "I never said I was all that bright." Seeing his joke fall flat, Geno continued. "Look, I've done a lot of bad stuff in my life. I never tried to be better. This is my chance to be better. I couldn't let Sal go to jail for the rest of his life because Anthony played a game. Sal deserves better than what we did to him." Geno paused. "So yeah, I'm here in his place. This is me trying to be better."

"It's a good first step," Nadine said with a warm smile directed at the fox. 

Smiling, Geno winked at Nadine. "You coming around, Officer Stripes? I knew we had a spark when you first arrested me."

A laugh escaped Nadine's lips as she held out her paw showing the ring James had recently placed there. "Sorry, Geno. I'm spoken for."

"Well, nuts," Geno said, his face looking more disappointed than he really was.

Clearing her throat to grab Geno's attention, Judy wasn't done asking questions. "Do you know where Sal is?"

Geno nodded. "I do, Anthony was worried…" Geno trailed off as he decided what to share. "Look, if I tell you this next part, I want something," Geno said, an unexpected nervousness now present in his voice. 

"What is that?" Judy asked, quickly getting annoyed, thinking that Geno was playing games.

Leaning back in his chair, Geno looked around the room before he said, "Immunity."

Judy and Nadine both began to protest, but Geno cut them off. "For Ma and Sal." He said. "They only did what they did because of me and Anthony."

Turning, Judy looked back towards the mirror. She couldn't see Bogo, but he could tell she was looking to him for an answer. Reaching forward to a speaker button on the wall next to the glass, Bogo pressed it and spoke. "I promise they will be left out of whatever happens."

Geno closed his eyes as he started to talk. "Tomorrow night, at the pier, The Skulk as planning to ambush the Omni."

Every officer's eyes went wide as they realized they were being warned of an impending gang war. "The Omni is receiving a weapons shipment. Our goal is to intercept the weapons and then complete the delivery but in a slightly more violent fashion."

"Will Nick, I mean Sal to be there?" Judy asked suddenly, afraid for him. 

"I don't know," Geno said. "I don't know any more of Anthony's plan. The most I can tell you is where Sal was last night."

Standing in her chair, Judy eagerly asked, "Where?"

"After you and he had your, eh, disagreement, we took him to Julie's place," Geno said. 

"Julie's place?" Judy asked. "Who's Julie?"

Geno winced, knowing Judy wasn't going to like the answer. "She's a prostitute that Anthony knows. Anthony figured she could keep Sal distracted."

To the other mammals in the room, Judy didn't react to the news that Nick stayed with a prostitute. But inside jealousy burned.

"if you have some paper, I can write down the address." Geno offered. 

As Geno wrote down the address behind the glass, Bogo turned to Wolford. "Go with Hopps and Fangmeyer. Report back to me if you see Wilde."

Wolford nodded and asked. "What about the Skulk and the Omni? They are going to have a war tomorrow night."

In a voice that scared and instilled confidence, Bogo said to Wolford, "Leave that to me. You just bring our fox home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was a long one. What did you think? Anyone figure it all out ahead of time? Did anything catch you off guard? Most importantly, what does Anthony have planned for Sal?
> 
> Please leave a review or ask a question I love hearing from you.


	13. You Reap what you Sow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judy, Nadine, and James go Looking for Nick, while Anthony is asked for a special favor.

On the stairs of a dilapidated building in the middle of Happytown, Judy enthusiastically bounded up towards the apartment where she hoped to find her fox. It had already been over an hour since Geno had given them the address, and the bunny was tired of waiting for her reunion.

Further down the stairs, Nadine and James were breathing hard as they tried to keep up with the overly excited bunny. "Will you slow down?" James asked, panting as he struggled to climb the last few steps. "Some of us don't have endless bunny energy like you do."

"Sorry," Judy said in an excited giggle. "I just can't wait to see him. Plus, I get to be the one to tell him the truth. Then I get my fox back!" As Judy skipped down the hall, Nadine flashed a knowing smile at James. Seeing the bunny so happy after weeks of depression made them both feel good.

Reaching the door, Judy looked back, impatiently waiting for the other two officers. "Slow down, Hopps," Nadine cautioned. "We don't know how Nick is going to take this kind of news. He might not believe you. Or, he could be mad or violent or emotionally overwhelmed. Prepare yourself in case any of this goes south."

"When I thought he killed, well him, he wouldn't fight back. He refused to hit me," Judy said, her mood not dampened in the slightest." I highly about he is going to start now." 

"That doesn't mean he is going to believe you, or that his memories are going to come rushing back. He might not be like you remember him." Nadine warned again.

Judy stared at the tiger for a second. "I don't care. We can start over if we need to." She said.

Nadine began to say something else to caution Judy, but the bunny had already turned to the door and paused. Looking at the broken wood along the door frame, a feeling of dread replaced the excitement that had been there only moments before.

"It's open," Judy said in a suddenly less happy and much more serious tone. She pointed to the damaged apartment door. As the two other officers looked a the mess of splinters and damaged wood, Judy removed her tranq gun from its home on her belts and readied herself to enter.

Knocking on the door, Nadine called out, "ZPD, we are entering the apartment. If anyone is in here, please call out, so we know where to find you and assist you". For a second, she waited, listening for any type of response, but only silence was returned.

Slowly, Nadine led the way into the apartment, flanked by James and Judy. They didn't get very far before James saw the first signs that something had happened there.

"We have blood," James said quietly as he moved carefully around the scene of the fight. "Looks like someone got hit with a chair too. These pieces seem to match the chairs over there," James said as he motioned to the table. Continuing down the hall, with Judy covering him and Nadine watching the front door, James checked the other rooms in down the hall. "It's empty," He called out, letting the other two officers know it's safe.

Putting her weapon away, Judy sighed. "Nick's not here, and he might be hurt," she said quietly, her voice heavy with disappointment and fear. "James," she said, turning to the wolf. "Can you tell if he was here?”

Tapping his nose James smiled. "Can do. Glad I took the time to get his new scent," James said. Dropping to all fours, his nose pushed to the ground, James slowly made his way through the apartment. He took his time, making his way through the living room and the bedroom following the scents where they lead him.

"New scent?" Nadine asked, a bit confused as James disappeared down the hall.

Her ears turning slightly red, and an embarrassed Judy answered. "Nick's scent was different. Probably because of the chemicals dumped on him. It's why the scent team didn't recognize him. It was just different enough that even, I didn’t…”

Nadine smiled, not making Judy finish. Outside of canines, usually only mates or families knew each other's scent. It really didn't surprise Nadine that Judy was close enough to Nick to know his.

Interrupting Nadine's thoughts, James rejoined the females in the main room. "He was here," Wolford said. "The sheets in the bedroom smell just like the sheets we had back at the station from before his jailbreak."

Stepping forward, Judy asked, "What about the blood? Is it his?"

"I'm not sure," James answered. "He was part of whatever happened, but I don't think it's his blood. His scent is stronger over there, by the broken chair."

Worried, Judy looked around the room. "So he put up a fight. That's a good sign, right?" She asked of no one in particular. "But if he was hit by the chair, he is probably hurt. We have to find him," She said, her voice heavy with worry.

Judy began marching towards the door as James turned to Nadine. 

"In the bedroom, I found Nick's, I mean Sal's scent on the bed, but it wasn't the only one." He said quietly. 

A look of horror crossed Nadine's face as she realized what James had found.

"It was a female's scent." He confirmed without being prompted. “the scent of an aroused vixen."

Looking back at the door Judy had just passed through, both mammals' hearts dropped as they saw Judy standing there.

"Judy," Nadine said, worried about how much the bunny might have heard. "We uh, were just talking about what to do next to find Nick…”

Holding up her paw, Judy stopped the tiger. "I heard," Judy said as she looked down, trying to hide the sudden jab of pain, James' revelation caused her.

"Um, maybe they were just sleeping, and she was dreaming about…” Wolford offered, convincing no-one.

Looking up at the panicking wolf, Judy sighed. "It's ok. We aren't together. He doesn't even really remember me. All he knows is I attacked him the other day." Slowly Judy trudged toward the apartment door.

Watching her walk away, Nadine slapped Wolford in the back of the head. "Nice job, genius." She said.Â 

"I know, I know," He answered back, rubbing the spot he was struck. Together the two officers left the apartment following Judy.

"Hey, Judy, wait up," Nadine called after the rabbit. "Don't worry. We'll find him, and then we will help him get his memory back. You haven't lost your fox."

Still hurting, Judy attempted to smile at the tiger. "Thanks," She said. But inside, Judy couldn't help but remember how she treated him and think he found someone else.

In a different part of Happytown, seated in the back of a small restaurant, Anthony, Jordy, and Robert spoke quietly as they watched the room. "So," Anthony said in-between bites of his salmon. "Are each of your teams prepared for the operation tonight? We can't afford to have any mistakes."

Robert smiled. "My guys know what to do. Not a single one of those Omni pricks will make it out alive," Robert said smugly. "Not sure about short-stuff's troops, though," he teased.

Sneering at the larger fox, Jordy answered. "We're ready."

A stifled laugh came from Robert. "Sorry, couldn't help it," he said. "By the way, do you want them to bring out out a highchair?"

"Just take care of your job," Jordy snapped, ignoring the insults being hurled his way by the larger fox. "My team will be sure no-one interrupts you. Just make sure you get the weapons before they do. I don't want my guys getting shot in the back because your guys don't do their jobs."

"Don't worry about us," Robert said with a sneer. "Just make sure they don't get any backup. They do have more mammal power than we do. I would hate to lose some men because you couldn't keep the door closed."

Swallowing the bite of. Fish he was chewing on, Anthony interpreted the brewing argument. "Enough you two. We are all on the same side. Robert and his team will be down with me securing the merchandise, while Jordy keeps the Omni off our backs."

Setting down his fork, Robert wiped his mouth and asked, "What about after we get the weapons? Do you still want to hit the Omni tonight?"

Taking a quick sip of his water, Anthony smiled. "Yes. I don't see any reason to give them a chance to prepare. Once we grab the weapons, they will be panicking. We can hit them before they are ready to fight back. We can knock out every one of their hideouts in a single night."

"We know where their leaders live, too," Jordy said. "Just in case they aren't at the bases, we should send some boys out to their houses to deal with them."

"Just getting the weapons is a big operation," Robert warned, not wanting Anthony to get ahead of himself. "Are we sure we are going to be ready to attack that soon?"

"We will have to be," Anthony said. "If we pull this off, in one night, the Skulk will not just own Happytown. But we will become one of the most powerful gangs in the city.Â 

Robert smiled. "Even Big won't be brave enough to mess with us after we do this." he boasted.Â 

Glancing around the restaurant, Jordy leaned into the other foxes as his voice grew soft. "I know we need a lot of paws on the ground if this is going to work. But, are you sure it's a good idea to leave the warhorse almost empty? You got Sal, and that whore locked up there. There will only be a couple of kits there to watch them, and the rest of the building. Maybe we should leave a few more behind."

Eyes narrowing, Anthony leaned towards Jordy, mimicking his earlier motions. "Do you know something I need to know about?" He asked accusingly.

"No, no. I haven't heard anything. I just don't trust Sal. We all know who he used to be and how close he is with Geno. If Geno lets him out, or Sal somehow tricks Geno, Sal could ruin the whole thing." Jordy said.Â 

"I trust Geno," Anthony said. "He's Skulk through and through. I know he's close with Sal. But he is the only fox not at this table who knows the whole truth about Sal."

"You heard from him today? Jordy asked?

Robert frowned. "Actually, no, It isn't like him not to check-in."

Taking a mother bite of his lunch, Anthony chewed for a second then said, "Don't get worked up about it. He's either sick, or Ma is keeping him busy with something."

"Hey, while we are talking about it," Robert said, addressing the other issue facing the family. "What are we going to do with Sal. I don't know if he remembers he's Wilde, or what, but he has made it clear he isn't loyal to us. Not anymore."

"We should kill him," Jordy said succinctly. "Just be done with it. I mean, it was a good experiment. I loved seeing that bastard knocked off of his pedestal too. But he has become too much of a liability. If he were to escape, he could ruin everything."

Looking from Jordy to Anthony, Robert sighed, "I hate to agree, but he's right. It's just too dangerous to keep Wilde around. I know you wanted to kill the bunny first, but we might not have the time. Every moment Sal is alive, we risk being caught.

Slamming his paws on the table, both tods turned to look at the white fox. "I will kill him when I am ready," He said. "I already told you. First, I want his bunny. I want him to see her suffer. I want her to beg him to save her, and I want to see his face as he realizes he can't. Then he can die."

"But, Boss," Jordy said, trying to reason with the fox. 

"NO!" Anthony said, "Instead of bothering me with this, why don't you come up with a plan to get the bunny? 

Looking at each other, both Jordy and Robert scrambled for words. "Well, I, we thought you would want to get the raid done," Robert said. 

"Boss, grabbing the bunny know could lea the ZPD right to us." Jordy protested. 

Anthony shook his head as a sly smirk spread across his face. "Or it could distract them enough that the docks are left unprotected."

"You got something planned, don't you?" Robert asked. 

Still smiling, Anthony looked at Robert. "I may have someone waiting for her at her apartment."

Laughing, Jordy said, "Once we got her, throw her in with Sal. After the last beating she gave him, maybe she will save us the trouble and just kill him."

Anthony smiled for a second before speaking. "As much fun as that would be, I want that kill."

Looking around at the crowd of mammals filling the restaurant, Robert remarked, "We should go. Don't need anyone overhearing something they shouldn't" Pulling out his wallet, he threw a few bills on the table.

As the three stood from the table, they were suddenly aware of a young red-furred vixen that had joined them at the table. "Can we help you?" Jordy asked, his voice annoyed.

"Are you Anthony Moretti? The white fox that helps out everyone in Happytown?" She asked. 

Smiling, Anthony looked at her. She was thin, perhaps a little too thin, and her fur was clean but didn't shine. But her eyes held Anthony's attention. The vixen couldn't be more than 14 or 15 years old, but her eyes were dark and empty. They were the eyes of someone who had seen too much.

A chill ran through Anthony as a sense of dread filled him as he wondered what horrors this vixen had been through. Bending down, so he was the same height as her, Anthony said, "I am. Is there something I can do for you, young lady?" his voice now soft and comforting. It sounded nothing like the fox who only moments before talked about kidnapping and killing a member of the ZPD.

"I just couldn't believe it was actually you." She said, her voice shaking.

Rolling his eyes, Robert watched Anthony with the vixen, knowing his boss loved this type of attention. With his smile getting even wider, Anthony looked at the kit. "It's me all right. In the fur."

"Mr. Moretti, I know you do a lot for the mammals of Happytown. Do you think that maybe, well, maybe you could do something for me?"

"Of course," Anthony said kindly as he reached into his pocket to retrieve his wallet.

Reaching into her own pocket, the vixen produced a small knife. "Die for me."

"What?" Anthony said as his unprepared eyes went wide as the vixen attacked, plunging the knife into his stomach.Â 

Time seemed to slow down as Anthony could only watch as the vixen pulled the knife from his body and thrust it back into his mid-section, stabbing him over and over. 

"This is for my father!" The young fox yelled, "and for the Omni!" She said as she plunged the knife again into the fox.

Anthony collapsed to his knees with blood pooling on the floor beneath him as Robert grabbed the girl pulling her away from the injured fox. 

With the attack stopped, Jordy grabbed his yelling to someone on the other end, "Hey, get here now! The boss's been stabbed!"

Pulling against the larger tod, the young vixen continued to yell at Anthony. "It was supposed to be a peaceful meeting, and you killed him!" She said as Robert lifted her and tossed her away," You killed him!"

  
Anthony looked down, seeing the blood seeping around his paws as they desperately tried to hold the injury closed. Anthony could feel himself growing cold and getting woozy as more of his blood spilled to the floor. Slumping forward, Anthony reached for the edge of the table to steady himself, but missed and fell to the floor where he lay in his own blood. 

Laying there, Anthony tried to look around as his vision became more blurry, and the world grew darker.

"He killed him, he killed him over nothing!" The vixen continued to yell as tears fell down her face. "It was supposed to be a peaceful meeting!"

Anthony could feel himself slipping away. “Robert…” Anthony said, trying to get the older fox's attention. "Take care … of … take care of…the family."

Closing his eyes, Anthony could feel consciousness leaving him. He heard the panicked footsteps of those around him. He felt his shirt being pulled away and someone putting pressure on his wounds. 

As Anthony slipped into unconsciousness, he heard Robert's voice. "Sorry, pup," Robert said. "I wish it didn't have to be this way." There was then a short moment of silence, but that was broken by the deafening echo of a gunshot. 

-

Back at the main hideout of the Skulk, Sal was slowly waking up. As he regained consciousness, the first thing he noticed when he opened his eyes was the pain. His head was pounding, like a bad hangover, but Sal wasn't out drinking. Taking a deep breath, his headache was suddenly the least of his worries as his broken ribs cried out, reminding him of the injury.

Grabbing his injured side, Sal groaned. His ribs were tender, and the sharp pain made each breath a chore.

"Shhh, you're ok," a feminine voice said, stroking his ears and trying to comfort him. "Just take it easy."

Suddenly aware he wasn't alone, Sal looked up to realize he was lying with his head in Julie's lap. "What's going on?" Sal asked as he attempted to sit up only to cry out at the sudden pain it caused.

Grabbing onto the tod, Julie helped him gently lay back down until his head was again in her lap. "We are at one of the Skulk's hideouts." She said. "After your fight with Anthony, they brought us here." Pausing, a forlorner look formed on Julie's face. "I think we are going to be, _dealt_ with," She said. 

Seeing the sad look in Julie's eyes, Sal's heart instantly went out to the vixen. "I'm sorry you are caught up in all of this. You were only trying to help me," Sal said. 

With a sudden burst of confidence, Julie said, "Don't apologize. Do I want to be here? No. But you saved my life. Anthony would have killed me." Julie's paw resumed its slow stroking of Sal's ears. "You're my hero."

"Some hero. I can't even sit up, and you still got kidnapped by the bad guy." Sal said with a slight chuckle that reminded him of the pain in his side. 

Julie smiled as she looked down on the injured tod. "You risked your life for me. Besides, if you weren't outnumbered, we would probably be back at my apartment where I could have thanked you properly." Julie said with a flirty smile. 

Sal started to laugh, but the sharp pain quickly turned his smile into a grimace. Seeing how much pain he was in, Julie reached back for her purse and produced a small bottle of pills. 

Curiously Sal watched as Julie opened the container. "Painkillers," she said as he looked on curiously. "Don't ask why I have them." Removing a pill from the container, she looked down on Sal. "I don't have many, but hopefully it will help at least a little. Now open up."

Doing as he was instructed, Sal opened his mouth. Carefully Julie placed the tiny pill on his tongue. Eagerly, Sal swallowed the medicine saying, "Thank you," when he finished.

A few moments past and Sal could already feel the pills starting to take effect as his labored breathing eased. Looking up from the vixen's lap, he stared into her eyes. "I'll get you out of this. I promise you that." He said. "I'm not sure how yet, but this. 

"I know, you are my hero after all," Julie answered, appreciating the sentiment even if she didn't wholly believe it.

Again silence fell between the two as Sal tried not to focus on the pain in his side and instead on the gentle touch of the vixen petting his head. 

Looking down on Sal, Julie finally broke the silence. "You're a good mammal Sal."

Closing his eyes, Sal took a deeper breath as the medicine dulled the pain. "No," He said. "I'm not. I've done things I'm not proud of. Things I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to make up for. I have a long way to go before you could say I'm a good mammal."

"I don't believe that. You were already injured when you fought Anthony to save me. And, um," Julie paused as she felt her self blush. "You didn't, um, take advantage of my, um offers. You could of. A lot of other tods I know would have."

"That doesn't make me a good mammal." Sal protested.

Again Judy smiled at the tod. It makes you better than you think. It also means that vixen you are pinning for is a lucky gal.”

Taking a deep breath, this time with only mild pain, Sal said, "She probably wouldn't agree with you."

"That she's lucky?" Julie asked. 

"That she's lucky or that I am a good mammal. She hates me, and she has every reason to."

Surprised, Julie looked down at Sal. "I'm sure you are overreacting. What could you have done that is so bad that she hates you? Maybe she just doesn't know the real you yet."

Looking away, Sal mumbled. "She knows the real me. The me I used to be. The night of my accident, I killed her best friend, the fox she loved. It doesn't matter how I feel or what I have done since. She'll never see me as anything else than a murderer."

"You killed him? Why? Did you have a reason? Was he harming someone?" Julie asked, desperate to understand how the fox in her lap could do something so heinous. 

"Anthony was in trouble. He had lost a fight with a cop and was about to get arrested. I did it to save him." Sal said, his voice heavy with guilt. "The first fox to join the ZPD and I killed him."

Julie looked at him, horrified. "You killed Nick Wilde?"

"According to Anthony. I don't remember it. He was a good mammal, I'm just the shuck who killed him."

"Sit up," Julie suddenly commanded. Gingerly Sal attempted to sit up. It was a slow process, but soon he was sitting looking Julie in the eye. "With everything we have learned about Anthony in the last two days, there is no way you can be sure he is telling the truth. But even if he is, you aren't that fox anymore. I can tell." Julie said as she smiled at him. 

Leaning forward, Julie raised a paw and stroked the side of Sal's face. Instinctively, Sal leaned into the vixen's touch, enjoying the feel of her paw brushing through his fur. "You might not remember who you were, but maybe that's a good thing. This fox," Reaching out her paw, she cupped the side of his face. "That fox might have been a bad mammal. But this one, the one in front of me is something special."

"I don' think she would agree with you," Sal said as he looked away from Julie's eyes.

Julie smiled as she pulled his face closer to his. "Then, that's her loss." She said as she closed the remaining distance between them and pressed her lips to his, kissing him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With only a few chapters left, I'm guessing/hoping most of you didn't see that coming. 
> 
> What do you think? How is Judy going to find Sal? Will Anthony survive, and what is up with that kiss?
> 
> I love to hear your reviews, theories, and any comments you have about the story.
> 
> As always, I'll do my best to answer any questions you have.


	14. The Best Laid Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brutal murder-suicide pulls Judy, James, and Nadine from their search for Nick. While the Skulk tries to decide what to do without Anthony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for another delayed chapter. At this point, I am just going to have to assume it is going to take me longer to get these out. I hope it was worth the wait.

As they were leaving the empty apartment, Nadine noticed how the spring in Judy's step that had so eagerly propelled her up the stairs earlier had vanished. Placing her massive paw over her tiny friend's shoulder, she tried to console the bunny. "Don't worry. We will find him, and he will be ok."

Stopping, Judy looked up at the tiger with tears in her eyes. "It feels like I lost him again," Judy said with a trembling bottom lip. "He was right there in front of me, and I didn't just let him go, I hurt him. Now someone else might have hurt him worse."

"Judy," James said as he, like his feline fiancé, kneeled down to the bunny outside their cruiser. "This isn't your fault. We are going to find him."

"I hope you're right," Judy said as she reached for the door handle. "I don't think I could really lose him again."

Nadine was about to pull into traffic with all three mammals in the car when their radio sprang to life. "Car 14, what's your position?" The dispatcher asked. 

Grabbing the handset, Wolford answered. "We are in Happytown, just finishing up an apartment search."

Squawking, the radio answered back. "Car 14, there is a homicide at Pellegrino's. Please report to the scene."

Looking into the back seat of his car, and the shaken bunny sitting there. "Dispatch, this is Car 14. Any chance someone else could take this one. We're pretty shaken up."

"Negative 14 you are the only car in the area,"

Wolford frowned as he looked back to Judy, only to be surprised when she spoke. 

"It's ok, James. I'll be fine by the time we get there. Still have to make the world a better place," Judy said. 

Taking the radio back in his paw, James signaled into dispatch. "Ok, dispatch 14 is on our way there. Over."

-

"I couldn't believe it," the maître d' said to the large tiger who towered over the smaller well-dressed fox. "They were just sitting there eating their lunch. They weren't being loud or bothering anyone. Then that young vixen just walked up to their table and started shooting." 

Listening intently, Nadine scribbled notes in her notepad as the old tod continued to describe the events he had just witnessed at the small restaurant where he worked. 

What can you tell me about the mammals that she attacked?" Nadine asked while not looking up from her pad. 

"They red foxes. It was a tod, his wife, and their two little vixens." He shook his head. "Such precious little kits. It makes me sick that they had to witness Something like that happen to their father."

"Did you know them? Where they regulars around here?" Nadine asked.

"No. I had never seen them before. I don't know if anyone else has. Maybe they were visiting, or if they lived around here, it was their first time in here." The fox said as he shook his head. "They were just eating. Then she just ran up to them opened fire on the tod before she turned the gun on herself."

"Did you hear her say anything? Did she give any reason for her attack?" Nadine asked. "Maybe she called him a name or Something? Anything she said might be helpful."

"No, she didn't say anything," the maître d' answered. "She just walked up to him and fired."

"I assume the victim was taken to the hospital?"

I assume so. They got him out of here fast. With the shape he was in, I don't know if he made it."

"They?" Nadine asked with a raised eyebrow.

Looking a bit flustered, the maître d' answered, "um… some other patrons. I think one of them might be a doctor. They grabbed the tod and left with his family in tow. The fox who seemed to be in charge said it would be faster than waiting for an ambulance."

"Is there anything else you can think of that might help us?" Nadine asked. 

"No, but if I think of anything, I will be sure to let you know."

Nodding with a polite smile, Nadine thanked the tod and handed him her card with her phone number on it. As the fox walked away, Nadine looked across the room. She saw Judy talking with an elderly arctic vixen who had also witnessed the crime. 

Nadine sighed. She knew Judy would rather be searching for Nick. Still, when the brutal attack and suicide happened just a few blocks from their location, Judy didn't protest when dispatch asked them to go and assist.

Standing in front of Judy, the vixen said, "It was just horrible officer. We were out shopping and decided to drop in for lunch. I never expected to witness Something so violent."

"I completely understand, Ma'am. Can you tell me what you saw?" Judy asked

Thinking for a minute, the vixen then said, "Well, I didn't actually see all of it. I wasn't really watching until I heard the first gunshot. That is when I looked up."

"And what did you see?"

"That vixen," She said, pointing towards the body across the room. "Something must have been wrong with that poor girl because she shot him four or five times. I'm not sure."

"Then what did she do?" Judy asked. 

"She killed herself. Like I said, Something must have been wrong with her."

Like Nadine, Judy frantically took notes, not wanting to miss one detail given by the vixen. "How many times did you say she shot him?" Judy asked.

"Four or five? I'm sorry officer, I was frightened and don't remember. You just don't expect to see that type of thing when you go out for lunch."

Judy smiled, hoping it would comfort the older fox. "It's ok. You are still a big help."

The vixen smiled. "That's very kind of you to say, dear."

Across the room, Nadine walked up to Wolford. "What a mess," Jame Wolford said as he carefully stepped around the pools of blood flooding the restaurant floor. "There has to be a second victim," He remarked as he took pictures of the scene. 

"A red fox. Probably in his early forties," Nadine said. "Apparently, our other victim shot him before she offed herself."

"He was shot too?" James asked. 

Confused, Nadine looked at her fiancé. "yes, why do you ask?" She answered hesitantly. 

With an eyebrow raised, James questioned Nadine. "Just noticed Something odd. When the gun was bagged, did you write down how many bullets were missing?" 

Flipping back through her notes, Nadine found the page she was looking for regarding the weapon. "It was a six-shot pistol, and the CSI said it was completely empty."

"Strange," James said. "When I was taking pictures, I only saw two casings, and they were over by the vixen." 

"Do you think someone picked them up to bag them before you could take the photos?"

"It's possible," James answered. "But not likely. Bogo would murder any CSI that messed up the evidence like that."

"It couldn't be the shooter either since she is on the ground over there," Nadine said. 

Looking around the room, James leaned into the larger tiger. "Something isn't adding up. Check with Judy to see if she found anything. I'm going to go make a few phone calls. If this tod was in that bad of shape, it won't be hard to find him."

"Are you calling the hospital or the morgue?" Nadine asked. 

"Depends on what I find," James answered as he walked away.

On the other side of the room, Judy had finished with the vixen she had been interviewing. She had moved on and was now by the bar talking to the bartender. He was an older skunk and one of the few non-fox mammals at the restaurant. "I'm sorry, officer, but I don't know if I am going to be much help for you," the skunk said. "I saw pretty much the same thing as everyone else." He said hurriedly.

"You never know there could be one detail that only you noticed that breaks the entire case. "I, um," The skunk stuttered as he stole a quick glance at the body of the young vixen lying in the puddle of blood on the floor. "I just saw that girl come in here and start shooting. Then I hid behind the bar. "

"Did you get a good look at the customer that was assaulted? Do you think you would recognize him if you saw him again? Judy asked. 

Yeah, it was An… a red fox." The bartender stopped talking, staring across the room, his eyes going wide as they landed on a fox sitting on the other side of the room. "I mean, he was with his family. He was a red fox. Like me."

Glancing behind her, Judy saw the fox. For a minute, their eyes met before the fox rose his glass, toasting the bunny and sending a shiver down her spine. 

Reaching into her pocket, Judy pulled out a business card and handed it to the skunk. "If you think of anything, let me know."

"I will, officer, thank you.

Walking over to Nadine, Judy pulled out her note pad to compare with what Nadine learned. "Have you ever seen this many witnesses give the exact same story this consistently?" Nadine asked. 

Judy shook her head, "No. There is always someone with a different opinion or a different point of view."

"I know. It's like they were given a script to read."

"Maybe they were," James said interjecting.

Judy turned to look at the wolf. "You mean they are covering something up."

Silently the three officers stood there, each wondering what they had stumbled into. 

-

Earlier, in Happytown, Sal sat with Julie in a makeshift cage in what appears to be an abandoned warehouse. Their lips pressed together, the stress of the situation in which they found themselves having overtaken them.

Breaking the kiss, Sal pulled back to stare at the vixen in front of him. Only moments ago, he had felt so sure of things. But looking at this vixen who saw so much in him confused him. Sal could tell she was special and felt drawn to her. Wrapped his arms around her, pulling the vixen close. He breathed in her scent and waited for the comforting feelings that would come when being close to the one you love.

But they didn’t come. Instead, the embrace felt foreign and wrong. It felt like a pale substitute for who he truly wanted to hold. Internally, Sal tried to push these feelings away. This vixen was wonderful. She saw something in him that made him feel better about himself. She was kind and caring. Sal tried, but he couldn’t come up with a reason for feeling the way he did. In his mind, Sal reminded himself, there was no point in pining after a bunny who would never see him as anything more than a murderer.

Sensing his hesitation, Julie pulled away.

“I, um,” Sal said, struggling to make sense of what he was feeling, while not turning the vixen away.

Kindly, Julie smiled. “It’s ok. I get it. The heart wants what the heart wants.”

“No,” Sal said as he started to protest. “It’s not that, I just, well…” Stumbling over his words, Sal tried to explain. “Julie, your wonderful. You’ve been so kind and…”

Julie cut him off, shaking her head. “Sal. I get it. You don’t need to explain.”

But Sal didn’t listen and continued to talk. “It’s just, there I something about her. I wish I understood it. But it wouldn’t be fair to you…” Sal said, trailing off at the end.

Julie cut him off. “You love her. It doesn’t have to make sense.” Caressing his face again, Julie smiled at the tod. “I still think she is a lucky vixen.”

“Thank you,” Sal said as Julie rose from where she was sitting and walked over to the window.

Watching her walk away, Sal was quiet, but as she walked away, Julie said with a sway of her hips. “Even if you are REALLY missing out,”

-

Over at precinct one, Bogo would never admit it, but he was nervous. In less than an hour, he would be sending his officers out to ambush the Skulk. He had faith in his officers. If everything went to plan, eliminate another of the major organized crime organizations in Zootopia.

But things didn't always go as planned. Officers made mistakes. They could react too fast and hurt an innocent mammal, or they respond too slow and get themselves hurt. 

Pushing open the door to the bullpen, Bogo looked over his assembled officers. "Settle down," He called out over the din of the room, drawing the groups' attention to him. "As many of you know, we have reason to believe the Skulk, a gang of mostly foxes from Happytown, are planning to strike at their rivals, Omni tonight at the docks. The Omni are getting a shipment of weapons that the Skulk plan to steal and use against the Omni. We are going to let that happen."

"We can not allow either gang to have that type of firepower, and if we are lucky, we might be able to take out most of the Skulk at the same time. This isn't going to be easy. Both the Omni and the Skulk WILL fight to get those weapons. But that doesn't give us permission to get sloppy. No innocent mammal is to be hurt, and not an ounce more force than is needed is to be used."

Bogo looked out at the room. He watched as the reality of his statements sunk in. The officers knew some of them would probably get hurt. In the back of the room, Wolford silently squeezed Nadine's paw."

"Assignments, Delgato, Rhinowitz, Fangmeyer and Wolford, you are on the entrance to the docks. After the Skulk goes in, no-one goes in or comes out. Grizzoli, Mchorn, Pennington, Anderson, Jackson, Higgins, Snarlov, and Johnson, you will be stationed inside ready to spring the trap. You will be supported by officers on loan from Precincts Four, Nine, and Eleven. If there aren't any questions, let's go and be safe."

Standing from their seats, the officers quietly filed out of the bullpen. Standing in her chair, Judy called out to Bogo. "Sir, Chief, you didn't give me an assignment."

Bogo sighed. "Hopps, I didn't forget. you're not going."

Instantly Judy's calm deserted her, and she angrily jumped from her chair up on the table. Angrily she marched down the table headed towards the buffalo. "Sir, I know I'm just a bunny, but I am more than capable of handling something like this."

"I don't doubt that one bit," Bogo said, drawing a confused look from Judy. I am not holding you out because you are a bunny or for any reason related to you being a cop. I'm holding you out because of Wilde."

"Nick?" Judy asked, confused. "What does this have to do with Nick?"

"Hopps," Bogo paused as he searched for a careful way to tell Judy why. "Wilde is still out there. He might be at the raid tonight, and he still believes he is Sal Rosso, part of the Skulk."

"So?" Judy asked. "If he's there, we will bring him in."

Bogo frowned. "Hopps, what if he resists? What if he attacks an officer?"

Now it was Judy's turn to frown. "Nick wouldn't do that."

"Sal might," Bogo said. 

A look of realization crossed Judy's face. "You don't want me there because you're going to shoot Nick."

"I don't want to, but it might be necessary." 

"Necessary!? Judy practically yelled. "Nick is a victim! He's got amnesia or been brainwashed, or, or Something! You can't treat him like some common criminal!"

Starting to grow angry, Bogo replied. "You think I want this? You think I'm ok with my officers potentially shooting at each other?" Bogo asked his voice raised. "Let me tell you, I'm not. But if I have to pick between Wilde's life and the lives of two or three officers, he may injure there is no question."

"Nick is not a criminal!" Judy said in what could only be described as a growl. "You would let them hurt Nick? You would let them kill him?"

“Nick might not be a criminal but Sal is," Bogo shot back. "and If it came to protecting my officers, yes, I would."

Taking a deep breath to calm herself Judy tried a different argument. "Fine, I’ll bring him in. Send me and Wilde will be my responsibility."

"Out of the question," Bogo said, quickly shooting Judy down. 

"But," Judy protested. 

"No. I know how you feel about Wilde, and I sympathize. But that isn't who is out there right now. It's not Wilde, it's Sal. Wilde is one of us. Sal is a criminal who might try to hurt an officer." Pausing for a second, Bogo tried a different approach. "Hopps, if you saw Wilde gun trained on Fangmeyer, about to pull the trigger, could you put him down to save her?"

Judy stammered, "I, um,"

Continuing to put pressure on the bunny, Bogo continued. "What if that gun was trained on you? Could you put Wilde down? Be honest with yourself, Hopps. Could you pull the trigger to save your own life?”

Judy opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She wanted to argue that she would be a professional, but she knew Bogo was right. She could never pull the trigger, even if it meant her own life. Looking down in defeat, Judy closed her eyes and quietly said, "no."

Looking around, Bogo made sure they were alone. Satisfied with the results, he took a knee and placed a large hoof on Judy's tiny shoulder. "It's ok," Bogo said, showing the rare moment of sympathy. 

"There isn't a mammal here that wouldn't struggle in your position. No one blames you. It's just the way it is. Go home, take a bath, and relax. There is going to be a lot to do tomorrow.

"Yes sir," Judy said as she watched the larger mammal stand from where he knelt and walk out of the room.

As the door closed behind him, Bogo let out a sigh and said, "Please Wilde, for once in your life make this easy and just don't be there."

-

Back at the warehouse in Happytown, the Skulk leadership was dealing with a problem of their own. 

"What do we do now? What the FUCK do we do now?" Jordy asked as he paced nervously back and forth. "How are we supposed to do this thing tonight without Anthony?" Jordy asked again before he fell back into a chair positioned next to one of the tables scattered around the warehouse. 

Grabbing the chair across from the smaller fox, Robert sat down as well. "Don't panic. The Skulk is bigger than any one member."

"One member?" Jordy said, exasperated. "One Member? Anthony isn't one member. He's the one who planned this. He's the boss!"

Sighing, Robert looked at Jordy. "You know he would want us to do this even without him. The power this will give the Skulk was his dream." 

"No way, man. I don't care what he was dreaming about. If we aren't prepared, ew, I'm not going to die just because you don't want to reschedule."

Looking at the smaller fox, Robert could feel the anger and annoyance building inside himself. "Stop being so dramatic. How is Anthony not being there going to make this happen any different? What do you think Anthony would have done that you or I can't?"

Holding his paws up, Jordy still wasn't convinced. "I don't know. I don't know what it is. But ever since his accident, he was different. He just gets this sort of thing done."

"You know he isn't magic, right?" Robert asked with a raised eyebrow. 

Offended and a bit embarrassed, Jordy answered, "I know…."

"Then stop acting like a pup and grow a pair. Tonight we finally take what we deserve. It's that simple. The Omni can't stop us. The ZPD can't stop us, Happytown will be ours!" Robert said as he rose to his feet with an overly dramatic flare.

"Wow, I'm inspired," A voice calling out to them from a few feet away, mockingly said." You know, If you let me out of here, I'd be glad to make sure you get exactly what you deserve."

Leaving his spot next to Jordy, Robert crossed the short distance to the makeshift cage.

"Shut up, traitor. You turned your back on the family. We gave you a chance, made you one of us. We treated you like a brother, and how did you repay us? You attacked us. You attacked our leader. You even threatened to turn us in to the cops." Robert practically spat at his captive. 

Not saying anything, Sal just shrugged, further enraging Robert. 

"Nothing to say about that?" Robert taunted. "Not even going to deny that you are a worthless ungrateful pelt?"

Sal looked at Robert, who was now only inches from the cage. Then in mock repentance, Sal said, "Oh woe is me, can you ever forgive me for intervening against our great leader when he attacked an innocent vixen like a spoiled little pup who can't control his temper."

The anger inside Robert flared. "Don't you dare speak of Anthony like that. That fox gave everything to the family. He is a hero who deserved all the praise and admiration he received." Robert took a few steps away before turning back towards the cage, "Unlike you, who turned his back on us the first chance he got."

"A hero? You don't get it, do you? He's an imposter. Nothing more than a pup playing hero."

Angrily Robert started to make his way to the door of the cage when Jordy sprung from the table to stop his friend. "Bobby, calm down. He'll get his." The smaller fennec said. 

"I can't just sit here and listen to him speak of Anthony that way. It's not right,"

"Right or wrong doesn't matter. We have bigger things to deal with," Jordy said, trying to get Robert to calm down. 

"We gave him a second chance. After what he did, I wanted to just kill him and be done with it. Let him rot in the water by the docs. But Anthony saw fit to give him another chance. A chance he threw away the first chance he got."

"For what I did?" Sal growled. "You wanted me dead for killing Wilde and saving your precious leader?"

"Saving him?" Robert said with a laugh, "You really still think you saved him?"

"Anthony only told you that to keep you away from the bunny,"

Shocked, Sal took a few steps back from the cage. "I didn't kill him?" He asked.

"Sorry, pelt. You couldn't even get that Right." Robert said. 

Ignoring the insult, Sal continued. "He's alive?" 

A wicked smile crept across Robert's face. For a little while longer. But don't worry. You'll both be dead soon."

-

Later that night, Judy was sitting on her bed. She had tried to relax but knowing what was about to happen out at the docks prevented it. Pacing, she spoke to herself. "Nick, you had better not be there. You know better." She said. "You know this is wrong. Even if you don't remember being a cop, you know murdering other foxes is wrong."

Pausing at her tiny window, Judy looked out over Zootopia. "Please be safe, Nick," she said wistfully. 

Suddenly, shaking her from her thought was her phone as it rang with an unknown number. Picking up the offending object, Judy hesitantly answered. "Hello?" She said, unsure of who might be calling her. 

"Officer Hopps," The voice said, it sounds as nervous as she was. 

"Yes," Judy answered. 

"We need to talk. I know somethings you probably will want to know."

"Who is this? Judy asked.

Before the mammal could answer, a loud noise was heard from the other end of the phone, rattling the caller. 

"I have to go. Just meet me by the Happytown market in an hour. I'll tell you everything there." With that, the caller quickly hung up. 

For a few minutes, Judy sat there, staring at her phone. She knew what she was considering was a bad idea. At best, it was foolish, but at worse, it could be dangerous. Setting the phone on her bed, she sighed as she decided not to go. 

_Better to be safe. I can trace the call in the morning,_ she thought to herself.For another few moments, Judy sat on her bed doing nothing before picking her phone back up, leaping from the bed, and rushing out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again sorry these past few chapters have taken so long to get out. 
> 
> Please let me know what you think. Only two or three chapters left. What do you think is going to happen? Please share your theories.


	15. Liar Liar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judy looks back at her late-night meeting with the mystery caller. While Jordy has to share some bad news.

Like most mornings, Judy Hopps awoke early. It didn't matter how late she stayed up the night before, she still seemed to wake up at the same time every morning. All of those years, getting up early on the farm had left her with an inability to sleep in. This was in sharp contrast to her favorite fox, who was more than happy to waste a day not leaving the warm confines of his bed.

What was different this morning was her location. Instead of being in her bed in her tiny apartment, Judy was lying on a stiff hospital bed in a shared room in the ICU of Zootopia Central Hospital. A second deviation from the norm was her clothing. Instead of the old tee-shirt Nick had left at her place. Instead, her small frame was entombed in casts and bandages that left very little of her face or fur uncovered. On her face was a breathing mask attached to a ventilator next to her bed. 

Never one to sit still lying in bed, it was difficult to put into words how bad Judy wanted to hop out of bed and go for a walk. But she knew she couldn't get out of the bed right now, and it might be out for a while before she could.

Laying there listening to machines beep and Iv's drip was torture for the energetic rabbit. Her arms and legs were stiffing up from the lack of movement. Carefully, she tried to stretch her sore appendages while not disturbing the bandages that adorned her person. Unfortunately for Judy, this did little good, leaving her more frustrated than relieved.

Having failed in her attempt to stretch, Judy took a deep breath and tried to relax. Her eyes scanned the bare white hospital room, searching for anything in which to occupy her mind. Finally, her eyes came to a rest on the fellow patient she was sharing a room with. Judy frowned as she watched his chest, slowly rise and fall as she listened to him snore. Like her, his midsection was wrapped in bandages, a result of an attack the previous day.

With another deep breath, Judy turned her attention back to the ceiling. She allowed her mind to drift back to the series of events that led her laying in this bed covered in bandages.  
-

It was late the previous night, and Judy had just arrived at the broken down section of Zootopia called Happytown. Earlier in the evening, she had received a mysterious phone call. The caller didn't identify himself, but he promised her the truth about the gruesome scene she investigated earlier. 

Waiting on the designated corner just outside of the Happytown market, Judy shivered. She had been in such a hurry to get out there, she didn't bother to grab a jacket. Unfortunately, the shorts and tank top she was wearing didn't offer much protection from the cold night air. 

Nervously Judy looked around. It wasn't until she had arrived and saw the empty corner that she had considered the danger inherent in what she was doing. She watched as an older brown car drove by, slowing down to look at her. Pulling over to her side of the street, the driver slowly opened the window and beckoned her over. 

Not wanting to let the informant see her trepidation, she put on a brave face and walked confidently to the car. "Hello," Judy said to the mammal inside. 

"Get in the car. It looks suspicious, for us to be out talking like this", the red fox tod driving the car said as he unlocked the door and pushed it open for Judy. Hesitating, Judy stood still and looked at the fox, trying to place his face and figure out why he might have called her. "Come on, girly. I don't bite, hard." The tod said with a dirty smile. Judy shuddered at the trite joke as she opened the car door and moved to get into the fox's car. "So how much?" He asked as she started to sit down.

"Excuse me?" Judy said, caught off guard by the fox's statement.

Rolling his eyes, the tod stared at Judy. "I asked how much. You want to get paid, don't you? Or are you just looking to have some fun tonight? Either one is ok with me, bunny-buns."

A look of horror crossed Judy's face as she realized what he meant. "I'm not, I wasn't," Judy started to protest as she stepped back away from the car.

"Don't get nervous, baby. I'm more than just teeth and claws," The tod said as he reached down to unzip his pants and exposed his hardening fox-hood to her. "I'll be gentle, unless, that is, you don't want me too." 

"Oh, Cheese and crackers," Judy said, as she stood there holding the car door, her eyes glued to the fox's cock as he stroked himself in front of her. 

"You like what you see?" He asked with a cocky grin on his face. "Why don't you come here and lend me a paw?"

Still shocked at what she was seeing, Judy carefully reached into her pocket and grabbed her badge. "Sir," Judy said, her voice cracking as she continued to stare. "It's against the law to expose yourself in public," 

A look of shock and horror crossed the tod's face as he realized he was exposing himself to an officer of the ZPD. "SHIT!" The tod said as his foot slammed on the gas, causing the car to lurch forward and speed away, leaving a still shocked Judy standing alone on the corner. 

Watching the car drive away, Judy took a deep breath as she tried to calm herself down. It never occurred to her how it must look. A young doe like her, standing on a corner in this part of town, at this time of night. "Real smart Judy," She said to herself. "Just get into a car with any male who stops by."

Suddenly, A shaky and nervous voice behind her called out, "Are you ok, miss?" startling Judy.

Turning, Judy was surprised to see an older and familiar-looking skunk standing behind her. "I'm not a, I mean, I'm not, um," Judy said quickly, fumbling over her words, not wanting a repeat of what just happened.

The skunk couldn't help allowing a smirk to spread across his face. "Don't worry, Officer. I know who you are. I'm the one who called you, thank you for meeting me here in Happytown." His grin disappearing, the skunk continued. "I'm sorry about the behavior of some of our less, upstanding residents."

A sigh of relief washed over the rabbit as the skunk spoke. "Oh, thank goodness," Judy said, relieved. 

"But your um, gentleman caller was right. It's probably a good idea to get off the streets. If I'm seen talking to you, it would be bad for both of us." The skunk said as he started to walk towards a diner not far away.

"Wait, why did you call me?" She asked the skunk, not sure she wanted to go with another stranger after the mistake she had almost made a few minutes prior.

Surprised, the skunk looked at Judy. "I thought it was obvious. They lied to you this morning at the restaurant. There was no family, and that vixen didn't kill herself. The Skulk did."

Judy's eyes went wide as she realized the implications of what he was saying. "So..?," Judy asked.

The skunk smiled welcomingly. "Office, I am going to tell you the truth."  
-

In the hospital, Judy was distracted from her memories by the sudden intrusion of a nurse, a large polar bear in light blue scrubs. Noticing Judy was awake, she came over to see Judy first. "How are you doing, dear? Is there anything you need? I know you must be super uncomfortable." 

Judy smiled weakly. "Thanks, I'm ok. Just kind of wish I could move or something."

The nurse returned her smile, knowingly. "You will soon, I'm sure." Turning away from Judy, the nurse pushed a few buttons on the machines monitoring the tiny bunny before moving on to the other occupant of the room. 

With the other patient still snoozing away, the nurse carefully pulled back the blanket revealing the fox. Carefully, the nurse went to work, with well-practiced paws quickly clearing and removing the soiled wrappings from the fox's wounds. 

As she worked, Judy watched as the fox's tail flicked into view. As Judy watched the fluffy appendage sway from side to side, she couldn't help thinking of her fox. She missed the way Nick would wrap it around her protectively or how she would use it like a fox fur blanket when they cuddled together on the couch. She hadn't given it much thought at the time, but she could clearly see that the two were way closer than just friends in hindsight. 

It wasn't long before the nurse finished up and covered the fox and his tail back up. With a parting smile and a wave, she left Judy and the sleeping fox alone. With the nurse and her temporary distraction gone, Judy's focus returned to her memories.  
-

Seated at the small table in the late-night diner, The skunk was sipping a cup of black coffee while Judy mirrored him drinking her tea. 

Putting his cup down, the skunk looked at Judy. "I want to apologize for what I did. Lying to you, I mean. I was just scared." The skunk offered.

"I understand, Mr. Lafleur," Judy said. "I'm just glad you changed your mind."

The skunk smiled and took another sip of his coffee. "It wasn't so much as changing my mind as finding my backbone," He said a hint of embarrassment in his voice. "The Skulk can be very persuasive."

"Well, let's start easy. Can you tell me anything about the vixen?" Judy offered, trying to get the conversation started.

The small smile on Lafleur's face dropped, and he looked down at the table. "She was a good girl. Came in pretty often." The skunk said. 

"You knew her?" Judy asked, surprised. 

Lafleur nodded. "Her name was Bella. A real sweet girl. Wanted to be a chef." He said, looking up from his coffee. Judy was surprised to see the sadness in Lafleur's eyes as he spoke about the vixen. "It's why she was at the restaurant. She had been helping out Luigi, our head chef, after school." A small smile broke out on Lafleur's face as he reminisced about the vixen. "She was always happy to help. Chopping vegetables, washing plates. She would do anything that got her in that kitchen." 

Silently, Judy listened to the skunk, not wanting to interrupt. 

"She came in early today. Luigi was going to make pasta sauce, and she was so excited to help. She had been talking about it for days after Luigi invited her to help and actually cook something with him." Lafleur paused, the small smile disappearing. "Then they came in for lunch."

Breaking her silence, Judy said, "The tod and his family?"

Shaking his head, Lafleur looked down at his coffee. "No. Anthony Moretti and his goons."  
-

A knock on the door of the ICU room once again broke Judy from her memories. "Hey," the guest said cautiously as they approached the bed of Judy's roommate, gently shaking the fox awake. 

Waking from his slumber, the fox in the bed next to Judy's blinked a few times as he focused on the visitor. "Jordy?" He said, his voice still a bit groggy as he pulled himself from the last few dregs of sleep. 

"Hey, boss," Jordy said. "How are you doing?"

Taking a breath, Anthony could still feel the sharp pain from each stab wound. "I've been better. I was stabbed, remember?"

"How could I forget?" Jordy said with a small laugh. "It safe to talk?" Jordy asked as his eyes drifted over to Judy, who was trying to lay as still as possible. 

"Yeah," Anthony said as he turned to see Judy pretending to be asleep. "Whoever's over-there isn't getting up anytime soon. Now, tell me how it went. Are the Omni no more?" Anthony said dramatically.

Jordy paused as he searched for the right words. "About that," he said, his voice shaking, and a worried look on his face.

Holding his stomach, Anthony carefully propped himself up. "What is it? Did something go wrong?"

Jordy looked away as if ashamed to share the bad news. "The ZPD, they were there, waiting for us." He said quietly. 

"So a few cops got killed. With the number of our family that was there, a couple of cops should have been no problem." Anthony said.

"It wasn't just a few cops," Jordy said as he looked up, shocking Anthony by the tears in his eyes. "We were outnumbered. They ambushed us. They were everywhere. A lot of the younger guys gave up right away. Some of the older guys," Jordy paused. "They didn't make it."

"Didn't make it?" Anthony asked as he tried to hold back a building rage. "How many did we lose? How did they find out?"

"It was Geno," Jordy said, his voice continuing to crack. "We found out he had been picked up, and then this happened. He had to have been the one to talk."

Enraged, Anthony stared at Jordy. "Get some of the boys, Go get his mother. Geno's going to pay for this."

"I can't do that," Jordy said, further enraging Anthony.

"Traitor," Anthony growled. "Where's Robert? If you won't do it, he will."

Jordy paused, "Robert's dead," he finally said. "I can't send someone to pick up ma because there is no one left."

Anthony sat there in shock. "No one?" He finally said as the severity of the situation finally started to sink in. 

Jordy shook his head. "Anthony, the Skulk is dead. The Omni have the city to themselves, and there is a contract out on you. Not to mention we are both wanted by the ZPD. I know you're still hurting, but I'm here to get you out of here."

"The Skulk doesn't run," Anthony said firmly.

Jordy shook his head. "Tony, you're not getting it. There is no one. There is no Skulk. The Skulk is dead. We are all that is left."

Dropping back to his bed, Anthony was in shock. 

"But unless you want to end up dead to we have to get out of here. Sooner or later, the Omni will find out you're here, and they won't show mercy."

Wordlessly, Anthony nodded in agreement.

"Ok, Give me a minute to go get you something to wear. I'm going to get you out of here." Jordy said.  
-

In the diner, Judy was shocked. She had expected that the story told to her earlier was false, but she had never guessed that Anthony was the one stabbed. 

Continuing with his story Lafleur said, "I didn't know all the details, but we knew Bella's father had been killed recently. Luigi told us it had something to do with the local gangs, but I didn't really pay attention. I like to stay out of that stuff. 

Nodding, Judy continued to listen. 

"Well, Bella saw Anthony and approached him. She didn't have a gun, they made that up. She had a knife. I don't know where she got it. I assume it was the kitchen. She just walked right up to him and stabbed him. I don't know how many times. She just kept yelling about how he had killed her father."

Horrified at the story, Judy stared blankly at Lafleur, unable to say anything. 

"One of Anthony's companions pulled her off of Anthony. He collapsed pretty quickly, and then I heard the shot." Lafleur's voice cracked, and his eyes welled up with tears. "She was just a kit. I know what she did was horrible, but she didn't deserve that. She didn't deserve to die alone on the floor." 

Judy watched as one tear became many as Lafleur remembered the vixen. "She was a good kid," he said again. "She just lost it when she saw the fox that killed her father."

Judy could feel herself getting emotional as she pictured what the young vixen's last moments must have been like. "Did you get a good look at the fox who killed her?" Judy asked as she tried to compose herself. 

"I don't know all of the fox breeds," Lafleur said. All I can tell you is he was older and grey, about the same size and Anthony, and I heard the little fox call him Bobby one time. It was a few minutes later that the Skulk filled the restaurant. They scooped up Anthony and rushed him to the hospital. I'm sorry I don't know which one."

"I'm sure we can find out," Judy said, trying to reassure the skunk.

After they got Anthony out, a few other members of the Skulk stayed behind to plant the gun and make sure we told you the right story."

"Did they threaten you if you didn't lie?" Judy asked. 

Looking down at the table, a still emotional Lafleur nodded. "They said they would kill our families and us if we talked." Looking Judy in the eye, he continued. "I'm sorry I lied to you," He said before he looked away in shame. "I was scared," he added. 

"Mr. Lafleur, you told me now, and that is what matters. Now that we know who did it, we can bring them to justice."

Suddenly worried, Lafleur looked around the diner. "If you do catch them, please don't tell them I told you. If they found out…" He trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence. 

"We will catch him and don't worry. I won't let them know you told me."

Standing from the table, Lafleur threw a few dollars on the table to pay for his coffee. "Thank you, Officer, I needed to tell someone. I just couldn't let that young girl die with everyone thinking she was just crazy. She deserved better."

"Thank you for telling me," Judy said. 

Lafleur took a few steps towards the exit when he paused and looked back at Judy. "You be careful too. If they find out you are after one of Anthony's guys, you will have a target on your back as well." Lafleur said ominously. "They have eyes all over this town."

"I'll be careful," Judy said.   
-

It wasn't long before Jordy returned with some clothing that he hurriedly helped Anthony change into. 

"This is all his fault," Anthony said as he put on the cloths. 

"You mean Geno?" Jordy asked. 

Anthony shook his head. "No. Sal. He poisoned Geno's mind."

Over in her bed, Judy had to fight to stay still at the mention of Nick.

With Anthony getting dressed, Jordy looked towards Judy. "What about your roommate?" He said to Anthony as he walked over to Judy. "Looks like a rabbit doe. What if she tells a nurse or something?"

Finishing up the buttons on his shirt, Anthony took a few steps towards Judy. For a few moments, he stared. Judy was scared, afraid he might have recognized her. But instead, he wordlessly reached for the cords powering the machines hooked to Judy. With a quick yank, they disconnected, and the machines fell quiet. 

"Problem solved," Anthony said. "Now, let's go have a word with Sal,"

Silently Judy watched as Anthony and Jordy left her alone in the room. She glanced at the now disconnected ventilator and monitors. Reaching for the call button, Judy frantically pressed it, desperate for someone to come to her room. 

Quietly in her head, Judy was counting the minutes as she waited for someone to help her. Finally, just as she was about to give up hope, a large tiger appeared in the doorway. 

Hurrying to Judy's bed. Fangmeyer looked at the bandaged rabbit. Grabbing the breathing mask, she quickly tore it away." He's going to get Nick!" Judy said

"Are you sure?" She asked the rabbit.

"Yes. Anthony said they were going to Nick. Can you.." 

But Nadine didn't wait to hear the rest of Judy's request. "James," She said into her radio. Anthony is making his way out. Don't lose him, he is going to lead you to Nick."

"10-4," James answered.

"Now, let's get you out of that stuff," Nadine said as she gently placed a claw on Judy's chest. The tiger then carefully drug the claw down Judy's body tearing the bandages and freeing Judy from her gauze prison. 

With Nadine's help, Judy quickly tossed the bandages aside. "I bet that feels good," Nadine said.

"You have no idea," Judy said as she tossed off the cast.

As the two officers exited the room, they jogged down the hospital hallways on their way to a waiting cruiser. "I have to give you credit," Nadine said. "This was a great idea. Pretending to be a patient so you could listen in. It was a great way to get around that whole no microphone thing the doctors instead on." 

"It's only a great idea if it leads us to Nick," Judy said. 

Looking at the bunny, Nadine smiled. "It will. Now let's go get your fox."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that one was a little shorter, but It just felt like a good place to end. The next one is going to be a big chapter, so it may be a few days late. but I will get it done as fast as I can. 
> 
> Your turn? What is Sal going to do when he finds out the truth? What is going to happen to Julie? What will happen when Judy and Sal come face to face for the first time since she kicked his but?
> 
> Let me know what you thought of the chapter, I want to know the good and the bad.


	16. Who am I?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judy, Nadine, and James arrive at the warehouse, where Anthony is ready to finish off Sal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delays but this chapter is both huge, and the final one for this story. Hope you like it.

It was oddly quiet at the Skulk's warehouse. Usually, the operations base was bustling with activity, full of foxes coming and going, dropping off money earned, or getting instructions for cons to be run. Instead, it currently sat almost empty. Only occupied by its two captives and their captor, a younger tod who seemed less than enthusiastic at his assignment.

But, while the stillness bothered the younger fox, the quiet was a pleasant occurrence for his prisoners, who still sat in their makeshift cage in the middle of the warehouse. Sal was sure he and Julie would be suffering the taunting and abuse of his former brothers if it had been crowded. 

Taking advantage of the lack of supervision, Sal was working on finding a way out. Seated next to one wall, Sal fiddled with an electrical plug. He wasn't much of an electrician, but he was hoping to start a small fire, just enough to get the young tod watching him, to open their door and give them a chance to escape.

Turning away from his project, Sal looked to see Julie sitting across the cage, over by some shelves with a defeated look on her face. A feeling of guilt washed over Sal as he saw how sad the vixen looked. He knew he was to blame for her current predicament. Sighing, he walked toward her with his head hanging as he looked at the floor. Approaching her, he said in little more than a whisper, "I'm going to get you out of here."

Looking up, Julie gave Sal a slight smile. "I appreciate it, but I'm not your responsibility." Changing the subject, she continued. "Are you making any progress with hat ever you are doing over there?"

Shaking his head to the negative, Sal answered, "Well, I haven't electrocuted myself yet. But that might be because I don't think the power is on. But don't change the subject. You are here because of me. If you never agreed to help me, you would be safe right now."

"You're right," Julie said. "I wouldn't. But, you didn't force me. You tried to save me. Besides, unless you have a key or some sort of weapon hidden somewhere, I'm not sure there is anything you can do." Looking back down, Julie hoped Sal would drop the conversation. But instead, her sudden hopelessness only served to increase Sal's guilt.

Reaching out, he lifted her chin with his paw so that he could look into her eyes. "I promise you. I'm going to get you out of here." 

For a second, the two foxes stared into each other's eyes, their muzzles drifting closer. "Thank you," Julie whispered. 

"For what?"

"For caring about what happens to me. Not many mammals care what happens to a vixen who does what I do for a living."

"It's their loss," Sal said barely above a whisper, their lips almost touching. 

Pulling away suddenly, Sal retreated to the opposite side of the cage, feeling Julie's eyes follow him as he walked away. Internally he struggled. Sal felt drawn to the vixen, and he knew she felt something for him as well. But he couldn't do it. It just felt wrong. Like he was cheating on the bunny who hated him. 

Leaning against the metal staircase that formed one side of their prison, Sal's thoughts drifted to Judy. If he did manage to get out of here, would she ever talk to him again? Would she believe what Robert told him that he didn't actually kill Nick Wilde? Was Robert even telling the truth? Sal sighed as he pondered what he considered a lost cause.

The loud, echoing sound of a rusty door grinding open snapped Sal from his thoughts. Searching for the sound's origin, Sal's eyes soon focused on the white fox being tailed by the smaller fennec who entered through the open door. 

Springing from where he sat on a nearby couch, the younger tod, who had been serving as Sal and Julie's captor, ran to meet the Skulk's leader. "Mr. Moretti. Are you ok? No one came back last night. What happened?"

Anthony didn't know the younger tod's name, nor did he care. He simply brushed past the younger fox as he walked menacingly towards Sal and Julie's cage. 

"Where is he?" Anthony asked his voice heavy with anger. "Where is that traitor?"

Jumping in front of the larger fox, Jordy tried to calm Anthony down. "Don't you think you should rest first? Sal isn't going anywhere. Look, he's right there locked up and waiting for you. We have some time. Take a break, and when you're ready, you can take care of him."

"I don't need to rest. I don't need a break." Anthony said as he approached Sal's cage. "What I need is to feel his blood on my claws and to see his chest go still as his last breath escapes. I need to see the empty look in his eyes as the life drains from his worthless husk." 

"Hm," Sal said with a mocking grin. "I knew you weren't a very good mobster, But I didn't know you were bad at poetry too."

Ignoring the insult, Anthony stared at Sal through the bars. "This is your doing. You warped his mind. You turned him into a traitor too!" 

Sal looked back at Judy, who just shrugged her shoulders. "What do you think I did?" Sal asks.

His voice changing suddenly to an eerie calm, Anthony continued. "Geno. You turned him against us. He never would have sold us out before you got involved." 

"Sold you out?" Sal questioned. "Geno went to the cops?" 

Once again, ignoring Sal's questions. "You corrupted him and destroyed the family. We welcomed you. Invited you to be one of us, and you destroyed us." Anthony said with a sneer.

"Destroyed?" The unnamed tod asked, to no one in particular, having not heard the news. "Is that why it's so quiet around here? The Skulk is no more?"

No-one acknowledged the younger tod. Leaving him to sit with his questions unanswered.

"Maybe you forgot," Julie said, her voice dripping with contempt as she inserted herself into the conversation. "We've been stuck in your cage, so I don't know what you are talking about."

Anthony scowled as he turned his attention to Julie. "Quiet, you mewling quim," He spat at the vixen. "This doesn't concern you. But don't worry. If I need my cock sucked, you're the first one I'd call."

"He's such an elegant speaker you would never know how inept he is," Sal said to Julie loud enough Anthony was sure to overhear.

Next to Anthony, Jordy again tried to dissuade his boss. "Tony, come on. Just ignore him. You're hurt. He isn't worth it. Just let him die in that cage."

"Yeah, Tony. We don't want you getting hurt," Sal said sarcastically, continuing to enrage the white fox.

His sneer growing, Anthony reached for the smaller fox causing him to flinch. But instead of striking his flinching subordinate, Anthony reached into his jacket. Pulling his paw back, a smiling Anthony held up the six-shot pistol.

Sal's eyes widened as he saw the weapon. "How did you get that?" He asked, fear in his voice for the first time. 

"Jordy has his ways," Anthony said with a chuckle. "Can't expect us to use those tranq guns the ZPD use."

"I don't think I'd mind having one," Sal said nervously, his eyes never leaving the gun. "If you have a spare lying around, I'm happy to shot you and find out."

Not amused at Sal's joke, Anthony looks from the gun to Sal. "It's time to end this experiment." He said as he unlocked the door pulling it towards him. 

Seeing an opportunity in the outward swinging door, Sal rammed his shoulder into it. This sent the door swinging towards Anthony, as a wave of pain spread through Sal's broken ribs, dropping Sal to a knee as he struggled to breathe. 

Shocked at the unexpected impact of the door slamming into him, Anthony stumbled back and fell, firing the gun in the air.

"Julie, run!" Sal yelled, gripping his injured ribs as he scrambled back to his feet. Julie didn't hesitate to follow the tod's orders. In a flash, she was out of the cage, slamming the door behind her and sprinting towards the exit of the warehouse.

Reaching his feet, Sal started for the exit but was quickly tripped up by Anthony, who grasped at Sal's pant leg, sending the fox back to the floor where he landed near Anthony. Pausing her escape Julie looked back worriedly at Sal. "Get out of here! Don't wait for me. Go!" Sal yelled, Spurring the vixen to continue her escape.

Crossing the short distance, Julie could already feel the guilt building as she left Sal lying on the ground. Stepping into her path, Jordy attempted to stop her. Seeing the new obstacle, Julie didn't even bother to slow down. Instead, she rammed into the smaller fennec fox, easily knocking him out of her way. 

Reaching the door, Julie again paused and looked back at Sal. He was still entangled with Anthony kicking at the white tod as he struggled to gain his freedom. Seeing her pause, Sal yelled," Julie, get out of here!" With a final glance at Sal, Julie darted through the door, hoping this wasn't the last time she would see the tod alive. 

From where he sat next to the door, Jordy yelled to the unnamed tod, "GET HER!" While the small fennec nursed his bruises from being tossed aside by the vixen.

Outside of the warehouse, Julie looked around in a panic. She needed to find a way to help Sal, and she could hear the other fox only feet behind her. The area was mostly deserted, a feature that probably contributed to the Skulk's decision to make this their base of operations. The only things she saw were a few homeless mammals huddled under a small overhang and an old beat-up car, with a wolf sitting in it a few hundred feet away. Deciding quickly, she ran towards the car, hoping its inhabitant was someone who could help.   
-

Parked only a few hundred yards from the warehouse's front, James watched for any sign of trouble. Sitting alone in a rusty old car he had borrowed from another officer, James Wolford was getting nervous. James had heard what Anthony had planned to do to Nick once he arrived, and the white fox had already been in the warehouse for ten minutes. Judy and Nadine were still a few minutes away. The backup they needed to breach a building this size was still more than ten minutes away.

Suddenly, James saw the door to the warehouse fling open, and a single red vixen burst from the darkness behind the door frame. The vixen looked worried and was scanning the street until she broke into a sprint towards his car. Seconds later, she was followed by a younger red tod, who chased after her. 

Not sure exactly what he was watching, James hesitantly opened the car door and stood to greet the desperate looking and now out of breath vixen. The wolf knew he was taking a chance, revealing that he was there to anyone who might be watching. But he was sure the vixen was in trouble and needed his help.

"Is there a problem?" He called out as she continued to run towards him, a panicked look on her face.

"Please! Sir!" Julie yelled as she raced towards Wolford's call. "Please, I need help!" She said as the fox behind her gained on her.

"What's wrong?" James asked as he stepped from the car.

"He's chasing me, and they have my friend," Julie said, out of breath as she panted hard from her sprint. "They are going to kill him. Please, call the ZPD!"

Looking up at the fox, James called out, "My name is Officer Wolford of the ZPD. Are we going to have a problem here?" 

James watched as the smaller fox's eyes grew wide as he skidded on the dirty road, trying to back peddle away from the large wolf in front of him. When he had finally come to a stop, the fox turned to run back towards the warehouse. "I wouldn't do that," James called out, not wanting the fox to warn those inside. 

Pausing, the fox looked between James and the warehouse before taking off down a side street, putting as much distance between him and the officer. 

"You're a cop?" Julie asked, hopefully. 

James nodded. "I am," he said as he reached back into the car and grabbed his radio from where it sat on the seat of the vehicle. "Fangmeyer, Hopps, you need to get here now! Something is going down." He said with an urgency that surprised Julie. 

"Oh, Thank you," Julie said, throwing her arms around Wolford, hugging him in appreciation. 

Breathing in, James was surprised to recognize the vixen's scent. Looking down at her, it took him a second to realize why the scent was familiar. He had smelled yesterday, in the apartment he had visited when looking for Nick. This was the vixen whose scent was mingled with Nick's in the bed. A jolt of concern surged through James as he realized the friend she was worried about was Nick.

Breaking the silence, Jame's radio crackled. "Almost there," Judy responded. "Is everything ok? Is Nick, ok?"

"Just hurry," James said.  
-

Nadine and Judy sat quietly in the squad car, each staring out the windows, an air of uneasiness suspended between them. Nadine was driving, while Judy stared blankly, preoccupied with questions and worries about her impending reunion with Nick. Without turning to look at the tiger in the car with her, Judy suddenly asked, "Do you think he will want to see me? After everything, I called him and did to him?"

Nadine was taken by surprise and unsure of exactly what to say to comfort the bunny. "I, uh," She tried fumbling over her words. Nadine had no idea how Nick might react. She wasn't even sure how much of Nick night still be in there.

Finally, turning to look at the tiger, Judy continued." Unless he somehow gets his memory back, I'm just the crazy doe who attacked him," Judy looked down at the floor before continuing." Even if this all works out, did I already ruin it? Did I already lose my fox?"

Glancing at Judy, Nadine could see the tears threatening to escape the bunny's eyes. "No.." She started to say, but her voice failed her as they arrived at Wolford's location. "What the…" Nadine said as she laid her eyes on her mate, unsure of what exactly was going on. 

Pulling the car to a stop, Nadine didn't wait for Judy before quickly slipping from her seat and walking to where James was standing. She didn't say anything at first, just staring at him as he stood there with his arms still wrapped around the vixen who cried gently into his shoulder. 

"James?" Nadine practically growled, drawing confused looks from James and the female he held. "I don't believe that is the fox we were looking for," Nadine said. Her body was tense as she attempted to remain somewhat professional, despite her displeasure at the sight of her fiancé holding his arms around the admittedly attractive vixen.

"She," James said as he turned to look at the vixen who still had her arms wrapped around the larger wolf. "Um, she was scared," Wolford said, as the severity of the situation dawned on him thanks to the stare of his unhappy fiancé. "She was with Nick and almost got attacked."

"It was so kind of you to comfort her," Nadine said, trying not to let her growing jealousy show through.

Huffing as she pushed past the larger mammals, Judy said, "We don't have time for this. She said Nick was in danger."

"His name is Sal," Julie said. "Please, you need to help him." She looked from officer to officer, worried they didn't understand how serious the situation was. "I know how you guys feel about foxes, and I know he has done some bad things. But he has a good heart. Please help him."

Judy looked up at the vixen, "I know he has a good heart," she said, drawing a confused look from the vixen.

"So, you will help him?" Julie asked, hopefully.   
-

Inside the warehouse, Sal had managed to get free of Anthony's grip but now faced Jordy, who was blocking his path. After how easily Julie had gotten past the smaller fox, Jordy had armed himself with a broken bit of a two by four he found laying around. Holding the piece of wood in front of him, Jordy swung it wildly to ward off the larger fox.

"Give it up, little guy," Sal said to the smaller fennec fox. 

"Fuck you, traitor," Jordy said as he swung the two by four, causing Sal to spring backward and out of the way of the weaponized piece of wood. 

"Hey," Sal said, mocking the smaller fox. "That was too close. You almost hit me!"

"Not close enough," Jordy grumbled as he took another step towards Sal. 

Lifting the piece of wood, Jordy was about to swing it again when, as if by magic, the wooden weapon exploded into splinters with an echoing bang causing both foxes to jump and stare at where the piece of wood was only a second ago. 

Turning towards the source of the sound, the two tods saw Anthony, sitting on the ground. In one paw, he held the gun, the smoking barrel still pointed at the two of them. The other paw was wrapped around his midsection, protecting the stitched up stab wounds that cried out painfully after the fall. 

Slightly disappointed, Anthony stared at the fox who still stood before him, saying, "I'm not missing again."  
-

Back outside, the sudden sound of gunshots drew all four mammals' attention to the warehouse.

"Sal," Julie whispered, a look of concern on her face as she looked fearfully back at the building. 

Simultaneously, Judy mirrored the vixen's actions. "Nick," the bunny said just as fearfully. 

Breaking into a run, Judy raced forward with the singular thought of getting to her fox. Following the smaller officer, James yelled back to Nadine. "Stay with the civilian," As he ran, only one thought was in Wolford's mind. "I am so going to pay for this later."

They were just short of the door before Wolford caught up with Judy and grabbed her shoulder, stopping the bunny from entering. "Let go of me," Judy said, struggling against the wolf's grip. 

"Judy, stop," James said, causing the rabbit to stop struggling for a second. "We don't know what's in there. All we know is someone is armed. We have to be smart about this."

Standing there, Judy frowned, knowing James was right. Rushing in without a plan was an excellent way to get hurt or get Nick hurt. "Ok, how do you want to do this?" She asked.  
-

On the other side of the door, time seemed to have slowed for a moment. Sal felt like he was glued to the floor as he tried to put as much distance between Anthony and himself. Turning his body, the red fox shifted his weight as his legs pushed against the ground propelling himself forward and away from the other fox. 

Following Sal's movements, Anthony aimed his gun, determined not to miss a second time. 

Turning his back towards his attacker, Sal pushed his legs to work faster as he tried to put as much distance between himself and Anthony as he could. With the exit to the warehouse blocked, Sal instead ran into the warehouse, looking for any way to hide from Anthony. Seeing the staircase that made up one side of his former cage, Sal chooses to run up the stairs, giving him a bit of cover from his gun-toting adversary.

Sal was almost to the stairs and the protection of the metal framework provided when he felt the hot searing pain of the metal bullet tearing through the flesh on the side of his arm. Grimacing in pain at the flesh wound, Sal didn't stop running. Only feet from the stairs, the gun's rapport again rang out as a bullet struck the ground only inches from one of his hind paws.

Standing from where he sat on the ground, Anthony scowled. "I'm going to end this," He growled. Turning to look at Jordy, Anthony said," Watch the door," before turning and took off after the red fox.   
-

Outside of the warehouse, standing on either side of the door, Judy and Wolford waited with their weapons drawn. Nervously, Judy fiddled with her tranq gun, making sure the safety was off. "You ready?" James asked, seeing how nervous she was.

"I'm ready." She answered quietly, her mind still focusing on Nick. 

Listening at the door, Judy listened for any signs of danger. When she was confident it was safe, she signaled to the larger wolf. Throwing his shoulder into the door, it flew open, instantly giving them a look into the warehouse. 

Carefully Judy entered the room only a couple of feet and started scanning for any hostile mammals that may have been sitting quietly waiting for them. With the coast clear, James entered like Judy with his weapon at the ready. Walking past Judy, he continued to scan, looking for anyone that might pose a threat. 

With James now in the lead, Judy was about to advance into the warehouse. But a growling from a place slightly above her and her right caused her to stop. Turning, she saw Jordy with his teeth and claws bared, launching himself from a perch by the door.

Reacting on instinct, Judy turned towards the threat and quickly pulled the trigger hitting Jordy in the center of his chest. The drugs worked quickly on the tiny fox, rendering him unconscious in seconds. Unfortunately, Judy didn't have time to move before the unconscious fox landed on top of her. 

Turning back, James couldn't help but laugh as he saw the bunny pinned under the unconscious fox. "Well, it's kind of what you wanted," James said with a smile. 

"What I wanted?" Judy asked as she tried to get the fox off of her. 

"Yeah, to be under a fox…" James said with a mischievous smile. 

Shaking her head, Judy warned. "I'm going to tell Nadine you said that."

A sudden look of concern crossed James's face. "Please don't," He asked meekly. 

"Tell you what. I'll be quiet, but you have to get this fox off of me."

Eager to agree, James, holstered his weapon and took hold of the small fox. 

Unknown to either James or Judy, Anthony was standing above them, his gun pointed at Judy's head. 

"By-by Bunny," He said, calling attention to himself. 

Looking up at the catwalk, James and Judy saw the white fox, and to their horror, the muzzle flashes as he pulled the trigger.

"NO!" Sal yelled as he appeared from out of nowhere and slammed into Anthony, trying to grab the gun away from the white fox.

While the two foxes fought on the catwalk above, down below, Judy could feel the warm sticky sensation of blood on her fur, but she wasn't in pain. Touching the blood, it occurred to her she might be in shock, but with the amount of blood around her, she felt like it should hurt at least a little. 

Looking to her side, Judy's eyes went wide as she saw the large grey wolf lying on the ground next to her. On his face was a twisted look of pain and his paws gripped his side, covering an injury that was bleeding badly. 

"James!" Judy called as she sees the wolf as she pushed Jordy's unconscious form off of her and rushed to her friend's aid. "No, no, no, no, no," Judy said as she reached for her friend. Scanning his midsection, Judy at first found it difficult to see where the blood was coming from. 

Feeling along the blood-soaked cloth, she finally located two small bullet holes in his shirt, less than an inch from the side of his vest. Pushing down on the injury, James groaned in pain as Judy tried to stem the bleeding. Grabbing for her radio as she continued to apply pressure. "Officer Down! Officer Down!" She yelled. "Happytown, Industrial district. Our squad car is out front. Send an ambulance! Hurry!"

Judy didn't wait for an answer as she turned back to the wolf. "Hold on, James, please. Hold on." She said as she continued to try and slow the ever-growing pool of blood surrounding them on the floor. 

Seconds later, an out of breath Nadine entered the warehouse with her weapon drawn. Seeing her mate clinging to life only a few feet away, she rushed to him. "James, I'm here." She said as she took Judy's place at the injured wolf's side. 

Looking up at his mate, a smile spread across Wolford's face." Hey beautiful," James said, "You know I love you, right?"

"I love you too, you dumb wolf. Just hold on. Help is one the way," She said.

"I know I say it all the time. But just in case," James paused as he struggled with the words. "this is the last time, I, I just wanted you to know," he said, his voice trembling. 

Pulling him close to her and with tears in her eyes, Nadine said. "Don't you do that. Don't you say goodbye."

"This is all my fault," Judy said quietly, accidentally drawing the attention of the other two mammals. Seeing their eyes on her, The damn broke, and Judy began to speak. "I'm sorry. I didn't see him up there," Judy said, her voice cracking as she attempted to apologize for what had happened. "I was supposed to clear the room. I thought we were safe once we took down the fennec. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Judy repeated as she looked between James and Nadine.

Starting at the wolf, Judy could tell it was getting harder for James to breathe. The effort contained in each attempt was evident as the grimace of pain she saw on his face with each inhalation. 

"You don't understand. He was aiming for me." Judy paused, her voice choking up. "James, you're hurt because of me."

Looking up at the panicked bunny, James said," This isn't your fault."

"But I missed him, and I was the target…"

"We missed him,"

"But…" Judy said, still blaming herself.

"Judy," Look at me," James said as he pulled from the little bit of strength he had left. "This isn't your fault. But, there is something you can do for me."

"Of course, anything."

"When you find Wilde, Tell him he still owes me five bucks," James joked. 

Turning back to Nadine, James attempted another weak smile. "I think I'm going to close my eyes for a bit. Wake me up if anything happens." He said,

"No!!" Nadine said with a new urgency in her voice, causing James to open his eyes up a little. "You stay here. Please, stay with me."

"I'm not going anywhere," James said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I just need a nap."

"No, no, James, Please, stay with me," Nadine said as she shook the wolf. 

But it was no use. James didn't answer, slowly letting his eyes drift shut. 

"James!" Nadine said again. "JAMES!" 

But James didn't respond.

Standing from where she was kneeling, Judy watched as Nadine held James in her arms. His breathing was shallow, and the ever-growing pool of blood spoke to how serious his injury was. He was still alive, but the paramedics needed to get there soon. 

As she watched her friend cling to life, Judy's body tensed with anger at the fox who hurt him. 

Looking up at Judy, Nadine noticed the change in the bunny's demeanor. "Get him." She said through gritted teeth and with tears in her eyes. "Find Nick, and the two of you find the fox who did this and make him pay."

Nodding silently, Judy took off into the warehouse, determined to find Anthony.  
-

Up on the catwalk, Anthony slowly pulled himself to his feet. With the help of the railing, he soon stood towering over the still prone Sal, who struggled to breathe. "Ever the traitor. Picking a bunny and a wolf over your own kind again. I guess I shouldn't be surprised." Anthony said as he swung his leg connecting with Sal's side, further injuring his already damaged ribs.

Immediately, Sal moved to protect his injuries from future attacks. Yet, that never came. Looking up to Anthony, Nick could see the white fox waiting for him. "What's a matter? Kicking me in the ribs getting boring?" Sal asked between gasping breaths. 

Smirking, Anthony looked down at the other fox. "No," Anthony said. "I'm just enjoying watching you suffer like you made me suffer."

"I never did anything to you," Sal said, his voice little more than a growl as he slowly made it to his knees. "Everything that has happened is because of your own hubris."

Anthony laughed. "My hubris? Oh, Sal, you still have no idea what you've done." Cocking the gun, Anthony pressed it to Sal's forehead. "Goodbye, Sal, it's too bad we could never make this work." 

Across the warehouse, Judy had just made it onto the catwalks. Stepping off the stairs, she looked in horror to see Nick on his knees and Anthony pointing a gun at his head. "No," She whispered to herself before yelling, "NO, Stop!"

Pausing, Anthony and Sal looked to see where the noise was coming from. Both foxes scanned the catwalks until their eyes landed on the rabbit on the far side of the warehouse." Judy!" Nick said as his eyes met hers from across the distance. 

For a second, Sal forgot where he was as he stared at the bunny. It still didn't make any sense to him, but he felt drawn to her. He saw the fear in her eyes, and for a moment, he dared to believe that she might actually care for him. Sal wanted to make that fear go away. He wanted to protect her and shield her from anything that might hurt her. Knowing there was no way she would ever be able to hear him whispered, "I love you."

"How touching," Anthony said, mocking Sal and bringing him back to his current situation. "Your bunny gets to watch you die again."

"Again?" Sal asked, But Anthony didn't answer.

Instead, he said, "Goodbye Sal," and pulled the trigger. 

Judy watched in horror as Anthony smiled and began to pull the trigger. Squeezing her eyes shut, Judy waited for the sound of the gunshot, not wanting to see Nick die. But the sound didn't come. Instead, all she heard was the clicking of the gun advancing to the next chamber.   
Opening her eyes, she was shocked to see Nick still kneeling there. Meanwhile, Anthony swore as he repeatedly pulled the trigger, desperately trying to find one more bullet. 

Looking up at the angry white fox, Nick couldn't help himself. "Anthony, I owe you an apology. When they said you were shooting blanks, I didn't know they meant your gun." Slowly Nick began to stand, using the handrail to pull himself to his feet."

A look of rage washed across Anthony's face as he swung the gun connecting with Sal's face, almost sending the fox back to the floor. Using the handrail to steady himself, Nick didn't fall but did open himself up for another attack on his tender midsection, an opportunity Anthony didn't pass up.

Doubled over in pain, Nick stumbled back as Anthony advanced. "Some hero. I can't believe how many of our kind looked up to you." Anthony said as he hit Nick again.

Confused, Sal looked at Anthony. "What are you talking about? I was locked up here."

"You abandoned us! You abandoned the family! For your entire life, you thought you were better than us."

"I didn't.." Sal started, but Anthony didn't let him talk.

"You would never join us. You always had some reason not to be part of the family. Thinking you were better off on your own. Then you became a cop. You became one of them." A look of realization washed across Sal's face as Anthony continued. "I even gave you a second chance. I used your lost memory as a starting point. I turned you into one of us, and you still betrayed us.

"I'm Nick Wilde," Sal said, not sure he believed it. Stumbling back, he stared at Anthony "That's what I couldn't remember. That's why everything we were doing felt wrong. I'm Nick Wilde."

"I didn't want you to remember," Anthony said, his voice dripping with contempt. "I wanted you to be one of us. Nothing. Worthless. Just another sly and shifty fox."

Angry, Nick stood tall, his anger covering up the pain in his side. "Why? Because I got out? Because I tried to make something of myself?"

Sneering, Anthony continued." Because everyone thought you were better. They looked up to you, and how did you repay them? You locked them up and threw in your lot with that bunny and her fellow cops. I was the one taking care of them. Not you, me. I was the one fighting for them! So I proved them wrong. I proved you weren't any better than the rest of us and turned the hero of Happytown into just another criminal." Anthony said. 

"You were jealous. You took my life away just because you were jealous!" Nick roared

Anthony looked at the fox in front of him. "I took your life away because I could."

Turning the corner, Judy had finally made it to where the two foxes stood. "Speaking of your bunny," he said. "I still owe her one," Anthony said as he turns away from Nick. Anthony started to walk towards the bunny, his claws bared.

"Leave her alone!" Nick yelled as he launched himself into the white fox. Wrapping his arms around Antony and driving him over the edge of the catwalk. 

Frozen in terror, Judy watched as the two tods fell, crashing through a shelving unit, spilling its contents, and busting open the containers on the floor as they all landing in a heap. "Nick!" Judy called as she saw Nick hit the ground and lay motionless in the center of his previous cage.  
-

Back by the door, Nadine sat with James in her arms as he struggled to breathe. "Please don't leave me," she whispered to the unconscious fax as the pool of blood surrounding them served as a constant reminder of the danger her mate was in. 

The sudden sound of her name being called out behind her caused Nadine to look up." Fangmeyer!" Delgato said again as he ran into the warehouse and knelt at Wolford's side. "What happened?" He asked. 

"He was shot here on his side," Nadine said, her voice breaking from crying.

"Hey, over here!" Delgato called to the paramedics. Not wasting any time. Wolford was soon surrounded by first responders. "Please, help him," Nadine begged as she stepped back and let them do their jobs. 

Surrounded by other officers, the paramedic, a small brown otter, asked," Can you guys move? I need some light." The paramedic asked as he cut away James's shirt and worked to stop the bleeding enough for them to transfer him to the hospital.

Running to a nearby electrical box, Delgato flipped a couple of switches illuminating the dark warehouse.

"Thanks," the paramedic said as he filled the wound with gauze, which helped to slow the bleeding. "We need to get him to a hospital." The paramedic said.

Working together, they loaded Wolford into the back of an ambulance and prepared to leave.

"I'm coming with," Nadine said, as she began to climb into the back of the ambulance. 

"Officer, This is an ambulance for mid-sized mammals. It would be really tight for you in there."

"I'll be fine," Nadine said as she again attempted to board. 

"Officer, I'm afraid I have to insist." The paramedic said again. "Your partner will be fine."

Grabbing the smaller mammal by the front of his shirt. Nadine, in an icy cold voice, said, "I'm riding with my fiancé. Do you have a problem with that?"

"No, no, not at all," the otter said before getting out of Nadine's way.

Watching the ambulance leave, Delgato couldn't shake a sinking feeling that this was the last time he would see the wolf he had worked with for years. "Get better, Wolfy," He said as the ambulance disappeared from sight.  
-

While James was being transported to the hospital, Judy was staring down at Nick and Anthony. They both lay on the ground, not moving. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Nick moaned. "That sucked," he said, grabbing his side again.

Relived to see Nick moving, Judy took off a sprint to get back downstairs and reach her fox.

Down on the ground, Nick painfully crawled to where Anthony lay in a puddle of the spilled chemicals and his own blood. Anthony's wounds had reopened in the fall, and now he lay bleeding out. Nick grabbed on to the blood-soaked shirt of the other fox. "Tell me there was a better reason?" He asked angrily. "Tell me you took my life away for a reason. Not just stupid jealousy."

"I'm not jealous of you," Anthony said with a laugh. "I won."

A sinking feeling came over Nick. "You're lying to me again. Tell me the truth. Am I really Nick Wilde?" He asked, so focused on the fox in front of him that he didn't notice the sparks arcing from the plug he tampered with. 

Seeing the uncertainty in the tod's eyes, Anthony continued to laugh as the other fox's anger was building. "Does it really matter?" Anthony said as he spits up a bit of blood before continuing. "Nick Wilde is gone, dead, and buried. You don't even remember him. I don't remember him. So, you must be Sal. Just some small-time crook who works for me."

Hesitating, It took Nick wasn't sure. "No, I'm not. I was Nick Wilde. I can be him again. I pulled myself out of this life once I can do it again," Nick said to himself as much as to Anthony. 

"No, you can't. Even if you could remember, do you really think they would take you back after what you've done for me? You think she would take you back?" Nick paused as thoughts of Judy flooded his mind. 

Neither noticed the sparking plug behind the two foxes until it finally makes contact with the flammable chemicals. Instantly the entire cage was engulfed in fire, with the two foxes caught in the flames. 

Reeling back, Nick quickly shed his shirt as the flames ate away at the fabric. Seizing the opportunity of the distracted Nick, Anthony aimed once again for Nick's broken ribs. The impact wasn't much, but it was enough to make Nick roll off of the white fox in pain. Now lying next to each other, Anthony again started to laugh as the fire spread throughout the warehouse. 

"Poetic justice, don't you think?" Anthony said, between laughs. "We will die together in the same way we were created." 

But Nick wasn't listening to his injured adversary. Struggling to breathe, Nick looked to the door of the cage. To his surprise, he saw Judy standing there, fighting with the door. Carefully he pulled himself to his feet and walked over to her. 

"It's stuck," Judy said, with panic in her voice. 

Grabbing the door, Nick tried throwing his shoulder into the door. Crying out in pain from the injury to his ribs. Behind Nick, Anthony continued to laugh as the fire started to lick at the edges of Anthony's clothing.

"Help!" Judy called out as she continued to yank on the door, desperate to find a way to get Nick out. 

Hearing the call of his fellow officer, Delgato hurried over. "Wilde?" He said in disbelief as he saw Nick standing there on the other side of the door. "I saw you, I saw your body.."

"It wasn't me," Nick said, not really sure what that might mean if he wasn't actually Nick Wilde.

"Nick push, Delgato, you and I are going to pull on three, one, two, three!" Judy ordered as all three mammals strained against the locked door that refused to budge. 

Stopping, The three looked around the warehouse and the spreading fire. "Get out of here," Nick said, calmly. "I'll find another way."

Delgato nodded, but Judy protested. "NO!" She said firmly.

Just as calmly as before, Nick looked at Judy and said, "You have to go."

"NO!" Judy said again. "I just found you. I can't lose you again. I'm staying until we get you out." 

Starting at the bunny in front of him, Nick was lost for words. He could see in her eyes she meant it. She would stay with him till the end if it came to that. There weren't words for how much Nick wanted to embrace the bunny. He wanted to hold her and find out everything they might have been that he couldn't remember. But he knew it couldn't happen.

"You have to go," Nick said again, just as firmly but now twinged with a sadness that hurt Judy to hear. 

"I told you, I'm not leaving," She reiterated. Even as the smell of burnt fur started to spread through the warehouse.

Nick looked to Delgato, who nodded in understanding. 

"It's not up to you," Nick said as Delgato swept Judy up in his arms. Turning from Nick, Delgato ran through the flames, with Judy fighting the larger lion the entire way.   
-

It wasn't until they were a good distance from the warehouse that Delgato set Judy down. "Settle down, Hopps," He said, trying to get the bunny to stop fighting him. But it didn't work. The instant Judy touched the ground, she began to run as fast as she could back towards the flames. This wouldn't be like last time. She wouldn't wait outside and lose him again. 

The sudden sting in the back of her leg took Judy by surprise. Instantly she began to feel tired and struggled to keep moving. A few steps later, she fell to her knees and finally landed on the ground out cold from a straw dart. 

"I'm sorry, Hopps," Bogo said as he holstered his weapon. "I'm so very sorry."  
-

It was a couple of hours later. A very annoyed Judy was finally awake and sitting in one of the exam rooms of Zootopia Central Hospital. The doctor examining her was taking his time, and she had places to be. 

"See, I told you I'm fine," Judy said, as the Llama doctor continued to check her over. 

"We just want to be sure," The doctor said. "That was a pretty powerful tranquilizer you were hit with, and I don't want to release you and have something not working properly."

Judy frowned. "Well, can you at least uncuff me?" She asked as she raised her paw to reveal the paw cuffs holding her to the chair. 

"Miss, I don't know what you did to have those put on you, but I am not the one who could take them off. For that, you will need to talk to Chief Bogo. He's a large bull…"

"Cape buffalo," Judy corrected.

"Oh!" The llama said, surprised. "You know him?"

"I'm a cop!" Judy said, getting more and more annoyed by the minute. 

"Oh dear," The llama said as he continued his examination.

As if on cue, Bogo entered the exam room. "Doctor, Hopps," he said, acknowledging both of the mammals before him. 

Looking at Bogo, Judy felt her heart jump into her throat as she waited for the news. "We only found one body. It doesn't appear to be Nick." Bogo said as Judy let out a sigh of relief. "But there was also no sign of him. We believe he got out, but we don't know how or where he might have gone. I'm sorry, Hopps."

Stared up at the chief, Judy's mind had already started working, thinking of places an injured fox might go. Going to get out of the chair, Judy suddenly remembered the cuffs that kept her from leaving." Can you remove these now?" She asked, motioning to the paw cuffs. 

"I suppose so. The fire is out, and I don't have to worry about you running into a burning building to look for Wilde anymore." Bogo said as he pulled the keys from one of the pockets on his belt. 

"Fire's out," Judy said, thinking out loud. "Good. It will make it easier to search for a trail and figure out where Nick might be headed. 

"Hopps, you are not to go after Wilde tonight," Bogo said sternly.

"But sir!" Judy said like a petulant teenager talking to their parents. 

Pausing with the key in his hoof, Bogo bent down to look Judy in the eye. "It's been a very long day. Go home."

"Sir, Nick is out there. He's hurt. He needs me!" Judy protested.

"Hopps," Bogo said as he unlocked the paw cuffs restraining Judy. "We need you. Go home and get some rest. We will open an investigation into Nick's entire story tomorrow. I'm not giving up on him. We are going to find him. It just won't be tonight." 

"But sir.." Judy started. 

"No, buts Hopps. Go home."

"Yes, sir," Judy answered with her head drooping towards the floor. 

Slowly walking down the hallway, Judy considered ignoring Bogo but decided not angering the buffalo was probably in her best interest. She would probably need his help in finding Nick. As she walked, she heard a familiar voice coming from one of the other patient's rooms. Looking in, she saw a grey wolf sleeping in the bed while a large female tiger cried next to him.

"How is he?" Judy cautiously asked Nadine as James lay quietly in front of her. 

Looking up, Nadine smiled as she pulled the tiny rabbit into a hug." It's going to be a long road." She said. "He lost a lot of blood, and one of the bullets hit his spine." 

"He's not…" Judy started to say before being interrupted. 

"No, no, he has feeling in both feet. It will probably be a while before he can walk again. But he's alive. The rest of it doesn't' t matter. We can get through rehab. All that matters is he's alive."

"I'm glad," Judy said with a small smile.

Looking away from the bunny, Nadine said, "I heard they couldn't find Nick."

"At least they think he is alive," Judy said, echoing Nadine's earlier statement. "That's still better than last time." Judy sighed. She was trying to be upbeat. But once again, not knowing where the fox was is taking its toll on her. 

Seeing the stress Judy was hiding, Nadine smiled. "Look, I'm going to be off for a while taking care of James. But still, if there is anything you need, even if it is just someone to talk to, don't hesitate to call."

Returning the tigers smile, Judy said, "I won't."

Sitting on the train, Judy couldn't help but worry about Nick. He was out there, hurt, and with no place to go. "I never should have listened to Bogo," She said to no one in particular. Reaching her apartment building, she trudged up the stairs, the fatigue of the day finally catching up to her. 

Judy reached into her pocket for her keys at her apartment door but stopped when she saw her door partially open. She knew Anthony had wanted her dead and the idea of one of his goons waiting to take revenge was a genuine possibility. Reaching to her side, Judy drew her weapon and took a deep breath, readying herself for what might be on the other side of the door. 

Kicking the door, open Judy entered her tiny apartment with her weapon drawn. "Freeze," Judy yelled to the intruder as she kept her weapon trained on the mysterious figure who stood with his back to her and something in his paws. 

"Drop it," She said to the mystery mammal, who let the object fall from his paws onto the bed. 

Turning to face Judy, familiar emerald eyes stared deep into Judy's own violet eyes. 

"Nick?" Judy said, surprised to see the fox in her apartment. 

"He was telling the truth, wasn't he?" Nick asked. "How else would I know this was your place or where you hid your spare key?"

"He was," Judy said, her eyes filling with tears. "You are Nick Wilde. My partner and my best friend."

Stepping forward, Nick took one of Judy's paws in his. "That wasn't all we were, was it?" He asked, still unsure of the feelings swirling inside him. 

Judy shook her head, implying there was more. 

"What were we? Nick asked as he dropped to a knee so they would be the same height. 

Judy smiled, "We were still figuring that out," She said, as a few happy tears fell down her face.

"I'd like to do more of that," Nick said, his voice barely above a whisper as his muzzle crept towards hers.

"Me too," Judy said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's it. I would love to know what you think about this chapter as well as the entire story. Let me know the good, the bad, and everything in between. 
> 
> For those of you who have been with me since the beginning, Thank you so much. I appreciate each and every one of you. Your comments and kudos help keep me motivated and I don't know if I could finish these without you. 
> 
> For those who just joined, Thank you for taking a chance on my fics. 
> 
> My review. 
> 
> Overall, I'm pretty happy with how this worked out. Not to say this fic is without its faults. 
> 
> What I liked - I think I did a good job with the angst and feelings in this story. I personally think they are pretty realistic with a few exceptions.   
> \- I am also proud of keeping you folks guessing through most of the story. Some clues were picked up on other went under the radar but I hope the twists landed. 
> 
> My mistakes. -two characters stand out.   
> \- Anthony - I never really found the balance with Anthony I wanted. He came off more as just crazy then the trouble wannabe hero I meant him to be. 
> 
> \- Julie - Oh the troubles this vixen caused me. Originally she was to play a pretty small part and never be much of a character. But I liked her and kept her around. Then as her character grew I didn't have much for her to do, and even less of a plan for how to handle her. I still love the character, but I regret using her as I did here. She deserved better. 
> 
> \- My normal lack of depth of my side characters. I say this every time, and every time I end up making the same mistakes again. 
> 
> That's it for me. I don't have a plan on what to work on next so if you have an idea let me know. 
> 
> Thanks again for reading.


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